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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28693911">Of Magic and Madness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonsAndCryptids/pseuds/DragonsAndCryptids'>DragonsAndCryptids</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Faeries, Demons, and Dragons [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood and Gore, Brace yourselves, Canon Rewrite, Dialogue Heavy, F/F, F/M, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, One-Sided Relationship, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Unhealthy Relationships, Zero Arc, cause you know.... fun curse Mavis and Zeref have got there, more spoilers: it's also the mavis/zeref, spoilers: it's the mavis/zeref, there's a lot of lore and worldbuilding here folks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 12:34:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>38,881</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28693911</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonsAndCryptids/pseuds/DragonsAndCryptids</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mavis has always known she was strange, ever since she could remember. The people of Tenrou would never let her forget. She doesn't know why she's so different, what makes her so off-putting to others, but all she wants is to understand. </p>
<p>Why are the higher powers of the world so fascinated with one little girl?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mavis Vermillion/Zeira, Rita Dreyar/Yury Dreyar, Yury Dreyar &amp; Mavis Vermillion, Zeref Dragneel/Mavis Vermillion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Faeries, Demons, and Dragons [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1557613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Alright, here we go! The zero arc! Now, fair warning, like the tags said... this is not going to shine the Mavis/Zeref ship in a good light. I have a lot of Thoughts about that ship, but I'm not going to spoil anything. Just don't be expecting it to be romanticized or anything like that </p>
<p>This part will also be including A LOT of lore and world building. Like a lot. Hopefully you guys enjoy it, I like to think that world building is one of my strong points, but... we will see. Anyways, hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Starlight sprinkled through the tree branches, dotting the forest floor. The crisp night air tickled Mavis’s skin, a calm presence floating on the breeze. Chirping and howling could be heard throughout the forest, echoing through the night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A tear rolled down Mavis’s cheek. She reached up to rub it away, but her hand fell before she even brushed her skin. “Mama… Mama, wake up. Please.” Her knees buckled, and she fell into the dirt. “Mama!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glassy eyes stared at her, cold and lifeless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis reached out with a shaky hand, daring to shake her mother’s shoulder. “Mama, why won’t you answer me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mother’s head fell to the side, her fluffy blonde hair falling into her face, covering those listless eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Mama!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Zera peaked through her father’s fingers, her morbid curiosity getting the better of her. She’d never seen a body burned before, certainly not the body of a High Priestess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her father grunted as soon as he realized what she was doing. “Zera, don’t look.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I wanna see!” She pointed to the little girl standing right next to the pyre. “She’s allowed to watch!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That is High Priestess Vermillion’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>daughter,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> her father snapped. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…” Zera shifted awkwardly. She knew she’d seen that little girl around the island before. She couldn’t say she’d ever interacted with her before, no one had: she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>weird.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Always talking to herself and walking around barefoot and staring off into space and dancing alone in circles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera couldn’t believe she’d never realized the girl was High Priestess Vermillion's daughter. It certainly made sense, the High Priestess was also very weird. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After her death was reported, Zera had overheard her parents talking about how they were lucky that the last priestess had been unable to ever teach her daughter or anyone else the old ways, that they could finally all die out, giving them the ability to fully move on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera had no idea if they were right or not. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> her parents, so she was inclined to believe them, but that sounded… not quite right to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did she die?” Zera whispered, tugging on her father’s hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was half decayed by the time someone found her or Mavis, we have no idea. Some kind of spell gone wrong, most likely.” He shook his head. “Makes sense. She was a mad woman, and messed with things she didn’t understand.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you understand them, Dad?” Zera asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Understand wha—” He cut himself off. “Dammit, Zera, stop asking so many questions, it’s not like it matters. She was crazy, so’s her kid, and it’s the end of it now.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Mavis could only stare with wide eyes as what was left her mother’s body was lit ablaze. The flames were bright, warm, golden. She had half a mind to reach out and touch them, but even she knew that wouldn’t end well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mother was gone. Really and truly gone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis was the last priestess now, the last connection to the gods and the old ways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Except she wasn’t even that, was she? Her mother had never had the chance to actually teach her much of anything. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Not even what her mother had been attempting that got her killed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stayed and watched the pyre until the rest of the village left and it crumbled into ashes. Contrary to what many people thought of her, Mavis wasn’t stupid. Quite the opposite, actually. She knew how to read people perfectly, after watching and observing them for so long. She’d had plenty of opportunities to learn, as they ignored her, and let her observe them like some kind of spectre. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They didn’t care that her mother was dead. In fact, many of them had been relieved. She saw it in their faces. The only reason her mother’s body had been given such a large, public ceremony was because of any lingering superstitions about the gods. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And without her mother’s protection… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis wasn’t going to last long on this island. No one was going to take her in, no one was going to shelter her on cold, rainy nights, no one was going to feed her or clothe her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Hey, you!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis turned away from the cooling pile of ashes, watching as a little girl, close to her own age, ran towards her. She’d seen her once or twice around the island, though she’d never given Mavis the time of day before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me?” Mavis asked softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl skidded to a stop in front of her, doubling over to rest her weight on her knees as she panted. “How’d your mom die? My dad wouldn’t tell me!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s lip wobbled, and she felt the corners of her mouth tug down into a frown. “Why do you care?” she asked, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just wanna know! And hurry up! My dad’s gonna notice I’m not with him soon!” She stood up straight, crossed her arms, and turned her nose up. “What’s the big deal anyways? She’s dead, what’s it matter?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears poured down Mavis’s cheeks. “How could you say something like that?” she whispered. “What’s wrong with you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mother was </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and this girl wanted to know how, because of some sick, morbid curiosity. Did she have no respect? For the dead or Mavis herself? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My dad says I’m a problem child,” the girl said, like it was supposed to be the greatest joke ever told. “So come on! He wouldn’t tell me much, but from what it sounded like, it was messed up! You were there, weren’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis turned and ran, her hand held over her mouth to try and muffle the sobs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Wait!” The girl immediately gave chase, stubbornly chasing after Mavis even when she sprinted into the forest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rocks and twigs and undergrowth pricked at her bare feet, but she didn’t care. She just needed </span>
  <em>
    <span>away</span>
  </em>
  <span> from that village, away from that girl, away from the ashes of her mother’s body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come back!” the girl shouted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis risked a glance over her shoulder to see how close she was, and her foot caught on a tree branch. She yelped, falling forward and wincing as she hit the ground, her ears beginning to ring as her chin hit a rock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, are you okay?” The girl skidded to a stop, and leaned over her. “You didn’t like… die too, did you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis grit her teeth, and she was pretty sure the tears on her cheeks were more from frustration than sadness now. “Go away! Leave me alone!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nuh uh!” The girl plopped down, right on top of Mavis, and the breath was squeezed out of her with a soft </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oof!</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get off!” she shrieked, kicking and squirming as soon as she got her breath back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl leaned down until she was actually in Mavis’s vision, her dark brown pigtails brushing the dusty ground. “Not until you answer my question. My dad says the gods aren’t real and that your mom was just a crazy lady, but if that were true, why’d she die in such a weird way? Was it magic? Did the gods kill her? Come </span>
  <em>
    <span>on!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>the girl whined. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>know!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mavis wailed, flopping against the ground and letting the cool dirt stick to her wet cheeks. “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know! Please! Just leave me </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My mom named me after a god,” the girl said. “Don’t know why, she probably just thought it was pretty.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Could this girl </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> be anymore self centered? Mavis didn’t care about her name! She wanted her </span>
  <em>
    <span>mom</span>
  </em>
  <span> back! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zera!” the girl exclaimed. “Do you know anything about the god Zera?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was the god of friendships and strong bonds,” Mavis answered automatically, used to answering her mother’s random questions about the gods at any given time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Zera finally climbed off Mavis, just to flop down in the dirt next to her. “That’s lame. I was hoping it was something cool. Like fire or lightning or something.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go back home, Zera,” Mavis told her. Leave her alone to wallow in the forest until she decomposed into the ground and the worms and fungus had their way with her body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She groaned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Fine.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You’re no fun at all.” She pushed herself up, and brushed the dust and leaves off her clothes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Mavis had to guess, she’d say it was because her mother had just died, but if that truly hadn’t crossed Zera’s mind already, Mavis doubted pointing it out was going to accomplish much. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera pranced back in the direction of the village, like she didn’t have a care in the world. Though quite honestly, based on the way that she had just acted, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a care in the world. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis wasn’t sure how long she laid there on the ground. Eventually she forced herself to roll over to stare at the interconnecting tree branches above her. The air felt just like it had the night her mother died, crisp and cool and perfect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis had thought they were going to go out and search for fairies, that’s what her mother had told her anyways, and then catch some frogs when they couldn’t find any, since that was normally what happened when they went out fairy hunting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, Mavis had left her mother alone for a moment, wandering off to chase some random noise, and she’d come back to her mother’s body giving out on her, strange markings crawling across her skin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes began to slip closed, and she considered just letting herself drift off to sleep. After all, it wasn’t like anyone was going to miss her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>bang</span>
  </em>
  <span> had Mavis snapping her eyes open, and the distant screams that followed had her scrambling to her feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> that? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The scent of smoke wafted through the air, and Mavis nearly sneezed, holding her hand over her nose to block out the smell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Obviously, it was coming from the village, but… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s feet were moving before she even realized it, carrying her back to the village as fast as possible. The smoke became thicker in the air the closer she got, the screaming was louder, and so were the bangs, which she soon realized were </span>
  <em>
    <span>explosions. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She skidded down a bank, not caring at all for the way the bottoms of her feet scraped and tore. She knew each step she took was leaving a trail of blood, but she refused to stop running. Even if no one in that village cared about her, it was still her </span>
  <em>
    <span>home.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could see the outline of the village through the trees—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fire and plumes of smoke climbed into the sky, the houses and shops and alters lit ablaze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis squeaked, her hands coming up to cover her mouth, but she forced herself to keep going. They just had to put the fires out, that was it, that was all, they could— </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then she got close enough to realize the silhouettes she saw running around weren’t just her people. She didn’t recognize them at all, and they were the ones </span>
  <em>
    <span>causing</span>
  </em>
  <span> the fires. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis fell to her knees as she watched an unfamiliar woman shove a blade through a man’s chest, yanking it out and letting him fall to the ground to be consumed by the flames. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Screaming assaulted her ears, paired perfectly with the roar of the flames. She dimly recognized other voices, yelling and demanding answers, wanting to know where something was, but Mavis couldn’t focus on that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All she saw was her village burning to ashes, the people of Tenrou being </span>
  <em>
    <span>gutted.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you know, Mama?” she whispered, even more tears streaming down her face. She wondered if she would ever stop crying again. “Did you know they were coming?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis knew she should run. These invaders hadn’t seen her yet, they had no idea she existed. If she turned and ran back into the trees, they’d never find her. She knew the forest like the back of her hand, and even if they came into the woods, they’d never catch her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But instead, she took an unsteady step towards the burning village. Then another, and another, and another. She was nearly surrounded by the flames, when something caught her eye. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A little body slumped over, pinned beneath a smoldering beam, twin pigtails brushing the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zera!” Mavis shrieked, dashing towards her. She shoved against the beam, wincing as it burned her hands, searing her skin until it sizzled and bubbled. Sobs racked her body, amplified by grief and pain and fear and panic. “Zera, Zera! Open your eyes!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera shifted, her dark green eyes fluttering open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis gasped with relief, and poured all the strength she had into shoving against the beam, letting out a triumphant scream as it finally began to shift. The wood tumbled off Zera, sparks and ashes flying up around it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get up!” Mavis urged, forcing back a cough as the smoke got even thicker. “You have to get up!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera’s eyes began to shut again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! No, you’re going to get up!” Mavis shouted. She wasn’t going to lose anyone else, watch anyone else die, not even someone like Zera! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Zera didn’t move. She didn’t move at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis grit her teeth, and leaned down to grab Zera’s legs. There was no way Mavis was big or strong enough to actually carry her, but she couldn’t leave her to burn to death along with everyone else. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So she dragged Zera out of the village, sobbing and coughing. Her vision began to blur at the edges, but she still refused to drop her and leave her behind. She kept glancing over her shoulder, just to be sure that they weren’t being followed by the attackers, but it seemed they were too preoccupied to notice two suffering little girls at the edge of the village, clawing their way to the safety of the forest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna save you, Zera,” Mavis promised. “And I’m gonna keep you safe. And we’ll be together. Even if we’re all that’s left.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Together forever. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Last Priestess</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Years later, Mavis and Zera are still living on Tenrou, but the treasure hunters arrival just might change that.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I finally cracked down and rewatched the Zero arc so I could get a better idea of how to write Zera, Yuri, Warrod, and Precht, as well as brush up on a few details of the plotlines I'd forgotten. So here we go! The Zero arc is here, and hopefully I'll begin updating a lot more regularly</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Gods, Mavis, when are you going to learn how to brush your hair? You can’t keep letting it get like this,” Zera said, deftly sliding her fingers through Mavis’s fluffy hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, but I like when you brush and fix my hair,” Mavis said. “You’re so much better at it than me. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you never brush it at all!” she exclaimed, before sighing and shaking her head. “Sometimes you really are hopeless.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awww.” Mavis fell back onto Zera. “You wound me, Zera. Wound me! How could you say that to your lovely, doting wife?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera tugged on a strand of hair. “We’re not married.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re close enough!” Mavis whined. “We live together, we love each other, we share everything. I think that’s basically married.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re sixteen!” Zera argued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can get married at sixteen,” Mavis said, before beginning to prattle off about all the different details of marriage, who could and couldn’t get married, different marriage ceremonies. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly, and turned back to gently removing the tangles from Mavis’s hair. Honestly, she could stay like this forever. On their Tenrou, with her Mavis, listening to her talk and talk and talk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Zera?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm?” Zera changed her focus to actually braiding Mavis’s hair, satisfied now that most of the tangles were gone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do things feel different to you?” she asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Different…? What are you talking about?” It wasn’t the first time Mavis had ever had strange feelings or sensed things. Zera had learned by now not to brush her feelings away. “Is it… bad?” The last time she had gotten twitchy, that awful storm had blown in not hours after. It had been so brutal some of the ruins across the island had actually collapsed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think it’s bad,” Mavis said as she began to swing her feet back and forth. “At least, it doesn’t feel bad. Like I said, just different. A feeling on the breeze.” She turned her face to the sky, the sunrise reflecting in her eyes. “It’s exciting, a change, I think.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera’s hands froze, Mavis’s hair slipping between her fingers. Zera didn’t want it to change. If it changed… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No…</span>
  </em>
  <span> She shook her head, and forced herself to continue braiding her hair. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No, that would never happen.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They would be on Tenrou forever, studying and preserving the old ways, just the two of them, like it was supposed to be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As much as she cared for Mavis, Zera was selfish, and she did not want to share her. Did not want to accept what sharing her meant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She loved her too much for that. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“I swear to the gods, that this fucking thing better be worth it,” Yuri grumbled. He’d never expected this job to be so difficult. Sure, he’d known that Tenrou was a strange island, </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> knew that, the energies he felt… they sent tingles down his spine. Not to mention the terrain was fucking hell to navigate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, do you feel like you’re being watched?” Warrod asked as he glanced around the forest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Yuri rubbed his shoulder. “This place is fucking creepy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you expected,” Precht said. He clambered on top of a boulder, and took a deep breath. “Tenrou was the last place the gods were said to… exist.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it ain’t like the gods were </span>
  <em>
    <span>real,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuri argued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re the ones that are on about the place feeling weird,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t know whether I think they existed or not, but even if they didn’t, the people that lived here worshipped them, and because of that, probably performed all kinds of strange rituals. Maybe you’re just sensing residual magic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They were massacred years ago, though!” Warrod said. “That’d have to be some pretty damn strong magic to still be lingering.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri frowned, and glanced around the forest. Whether Precht was right or not about lingering magic, what he sensed wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>magic.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It genuinely felt like he was being </span>
  <em>
    <span>watched,</span>
  </em>
  <span> like someone was staring at him. “We’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> everyone on the island died?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I mean we don’t know for </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Warrod said. “There easily could have been survivors, but I can’t imagine they would have stayed here after the massacre…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever.” Yuri shook his head, doing his best to ignore the feeling. “Let’s just find that damn Orb and get the hell out of here.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Zera turned to grab onto Mavis, knowing that her girlfriend was likely already coming up with some ridiculous scheme. “We should just hide until they—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis wiggled out of her grasp, already climbing through the trees to keep up with the three strange men below. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Mavis!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Zera hissed, chasing after her as quickly as she dared. She had no idea if the men would be able to sense her presence, the minuscule ways she could interact with the world, but she didn’t want to risk it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s people!” she whispered excitedly. “People, Zera!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera nearly groaned. “Thieves! Thieves, Mavis! And do you know what thieves do?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked over her shoulder with a hum. “Steal things?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She stepped onto the tree branch next to her. “Steal things, kill people, burn villages.” She counted off each item on her fingers. “Do I need to keep going, Mavis Dear?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Zera!” Mavis giggled and held her hand over her mouth. “You’re being overdramatic. Besides!” She pointed towards the main part of the island. “They’re never going to find what they’re looking for.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that makes them </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> dangerous,” she argued. “They might get angry! Gods know what they’ll do then!” She grabbed onto another tree branch, the twigs cracking beneath her fingers. “And besides, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one who says no one but the priests and priestesses should step foot in the old temples, and touch the altars, and you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that’s going to be the first place that they look.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis gasped, horror blooming to life in her wide eyes, like she genuinely hadn’t considered that these treasure hunters might trample onto their sacred grounds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And in all honesty, she probably hadn’t. As clever as Mavis could be, sometimes her common sense was… lacking, if Zera had to be honest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t let them do that!” Mavis exclaimed. She grabbed Zera’s hand. “Come on, Zera! We have to get to the temples before them!” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Despite the strange feelings she’d been having the past few days, Mavis had never expected these three strange men to come to Tenrou. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had never expected </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> to come to Tenrou. They hadn’t come to the island for seven years, so why would they start coming now? It didn’t make sense! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that didn’t mean she wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>excited.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Even if they </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> trying to trample one what was left of their sacred land. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Honestly, Mavis wasn’t sure why she cared. There was no way that their land couldn’t be desecrated anymore than it already had been. But she was the last Vermillion Priest! It was her duty to protect the sacred lands and texts, just like her mother would have wanted her to! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if… she didn’t completely understand the old ways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis, I really think we should just hide,” Zera continued to press. “This isn’t a good idea. Those are men! Three, big, buff men, who might have— have weapons! We’re just two girls! Two small, frail girls, with </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> weapons, who know nothing about fighting, and—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, calm down Zera,” Mavis hushed as she jumped out of the tree, landing in front of the main temple. “We’ll be just fine.” She had a plan! Those men believed that everyone on the island was dead, and from the sound of it, were much more superstitious than they wanted to let on (like most people were). “Quick, help me get into all the robes and jewelry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera sighed. “Oh, Mavis…” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Woah…” Mavis stumbled, tripping over the flowy fabric bunched around her feet. There were no robes small enough to fit her, as obviously children weren’t meant to wear them, and… despite nearly being seventeen, Mavis was still roughly the size of a twelve year old. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Careful.” Zera steadied her, and readjusted the veil covering her face. “I still don’t think that this is a good idea…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll be fine!” Mavis insisted. “They’ll assume I’m some kind of spirit, or something like that, I’m sure of it!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a hell of a stretch…” Zera grumbled. “You don’t look very </span>
  <em>
    <span>ghostly.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis squeaked in indignation. “I look </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> ghostly! I’d make a great ghost! I’m small, and washed out, with long flowy hair, and dead eyes! The perfect spirit!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s just because you don’t get enough sun or take care of your hair,” Zera said with an eye roll. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You still think I’m pretty, though,” Mavis said with a smile, before leaning over to kiss Zera’s cheek. “Besides, I have you to watch my back, in case something goes wrong.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera shifted uncomfortably.  “I don’t know if I—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, come on.” Mavis cupped her girlfriend’s cheek. “I trust you, and I know you can do it. Now come on. Let’s keep them away from our temples!” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Zera crept out of the temple, and climbed up the crumbling archway outside it. She still remembered how grand the temples had been before the entirety of the village had been burned and looted. Truly, they had been gorgeous, but now… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now they were just crumbling stones. And if the gods had ever truly communed with them in these places, they certainly didn’t now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera would never understand Mavis’s attachment to them. Of course, she knew it was connected to her mother, her memories of her, but they were still old, empty buildings, devoid of any kind of life. Hell, they didn’t even have anything valuable in them. Anything worth anything had been taken with the looting of the village, which was why Zera thought they should just hide and let these self-proclaimed treasure hunters figure that out themselves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But… Mavis would never allow something like that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The undergrowth began to rustle, and Zera could hear snippets of the men’s conversations, mostly speculation on what exactly had happened on the island, as well as expressing what they would do with all the money they got once they found the Tenrou Orb. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera nearly laughed. They wouldn’t find one bit of money or glory here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was nothing, but two lonely girls. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Yuri had no idea what he was expecting from the Tenrou Temples. Even though reading was not his thing, he’d forced himself to read through some of the island’s history before sailing out here, wanting to try and find anything useful, even though that kind of thing was normally Precht’s job. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But as soon as he laid eyes on the temples, his breath was taken away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ruins were </span>
  <em>
    <span>magnificent,</span>
  </em>
  <span> so he couldn’t even imagine what the structures might have looked like before they’d been partially destroyed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The temples were partially carved into cliff faces, with arching doorways built around them. The stone glimmered in the sunlight, like starlight had been worked into the stone. Despite not being as large as Yuri had been expecting, the structures were far more beautiful, covered in intricate carvings, ancient languages he could never hope to identify, let alone decipher, as well as gorgeous pictures, depicting what he could only assume were the gods the temples had been built to honor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I suddenly understand why this place seems so creepy,” Warrod said with a shudder. “If the gods were anywhere, it was here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite how much he didn’t want to believe that the gods existed, Yuri found himself agreeing with Warrod. Something about this place… it made his soul itch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Indeed, the gods are here,” a melodic voice chimed. “And you should not be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri went stiff, and he sensed Warrod do the same beside him. Precht’s eyebrows pinched together, but other than that, he seemed as unbothered as ever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A small form crept out of one of the temples, clad head to toe in black robes, shining with blue and red jewels sewed to the seams and veil. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my gods, what the fuck is that!?” Yuri yelped as he grabbed onto Warrod. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am the last priestess of Tenrou and the deities that reside here,” the girl said. Or at least Yuri assumed it was a small girl. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>tiny,</span>
  </em>
  <span> not to mention how high pitched her voice was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The last priestess?” Precht asked, taking a small step forward. “That’s interesting, I’d heard that there were no more priests here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you heard wrong,” she said. “We are still here, and we’ll always be here!” She raised her small fists, and her voice shook on the last word. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…” Warrod breathed next to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Yuri asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it’s a little kid,” he said. “Like, an actual little kid.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my gods.” That was worse than a ghost, in Yuri’s opinion. A ghost was nothing, even if it was the ghost of a priestess. What could a ghost </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> do? But a kid… A kid was an actual person. And if there was no one but a kid here, dressed in ceremonial robes, that were way too big for her, now that Yuri was actually looking, that probably meant that she was here alone… “Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>gods.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Young lady, I feel I should inform you, that you’re not fooling anyone here. Except for perhaps Yuri,” Precht said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-Well!” The girl’s shoulders slumped. “That doesn’t matter! You still need to leave! You can’t just come into our temples!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not leaving without that Orb!” Yuri exclaimed. They’d already spent almost every bit of money they had on this expedition, and if they came out of it with nothing, it could cause some issues. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well you’re going to have to either way!” the girl shouted back. She whipped her veil back, confirming Yuri’s suspicions and revealing that she was an extremely small girl. Maybe eleven or twelve? Which meant she’d only been… gods, what? Five when this place had been destroyed and she’d been left to survive on this island all alone? Honestly, he was impressed that she’d managed something like that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what do you mean by that?” Precht asked. “I don’t think you’d have a chance in hell at actually stopping us from finding it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, Zera, stop worrying!” the girl said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod and Yuri exchanged a look, before glancing around, trying to spot this Zera person, but Yuri didn’t catch so much of a glimpse of another person. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed and turned her attention back to them. “You won’t find the Tenrou Orb, or any of our other sacred treasures here. They were stolen back when the whole island was looted. So you’ve come here for nothing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She could be lying,” Yuri said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod shook his head. “No, I don’t think she is. I mean, look at her. You can see it in her eyes. It upsets her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri didn’t see how Warrod could learn anything from the girl’s eyes. They looked… so blank and dead. Almost like they belonged to a corpse. It kind of freaked him out. Those were not the eyes of a young child. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well son of a bitch!” he said. “Now what?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blue Skull,” Mavis said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Precht asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl walked towards them. “I think the people that attacked us were a guild called Blue Skull.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri’s frown deepened. “Blue Skull… I swear I’ve heard that name before.” He didn’t personally care too much about magic users or guilds, so he didn’t exactly keep up with them, but for some reason that name was ringing a bell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t they that guild of shitbags that took up residence in Magnolia?” Warrod asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht sighed and shook his head. “So if we want the Orb, you’re saying we’d have to go after this Blue Skull guild? This guild that managed to wipe out all the civilization on this island except for you?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl nodded. “Me and Zera! Say hello, Zera!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Zera.</span>
  </em>
  <span> There was that name again. But there was </span>
  <em>
    <span>no one else there.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite that, Warrod and Precht waved and said hello. Warrod elbowed him, and Yuri reluctantly did the same, though he had no idea why. Were they seriously humoring this crazy— </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh… </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The mind did strange things when someone was left alone too long, didn’t it? Yuri didn’t understand why they didn’t just tell her there was no one there. Why was it their responsibility to go along with this? But then he thought about it… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Yuri didn’t think he could tell that smiling face that this person she seemed to really care about didn’t even exist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But if you decide you want to go after Blue Skull, you’re taking me with you!” the girl exclaimed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell? No!” Yuri shouted. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>last</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing he wanted was some little girl following him around, getting in his way, being annoying. That sounded awful! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! Oh hush, Zera, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> a good idea,” she said. “We could get our treasures back! Maybe the gods would talk to us again if we brought them back to Tenrou!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, hey. Even </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> you came with us and helped us find this Orb—” Though Yuri had no idea how she could </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> be helpful. “That doesn’t mean we’re just going to give it to you!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well!” The girl somehow managed to smile even brighter. “I guess that’s something for us to figure out later, isn’t it?” She pranced passed them, her arm out like she was holding someone’s hand. Perhaps it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Zera’s.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “So let’s go!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri looked to Warrod and Precht, hoping they would back him up on this and tell this girl that it wasn’t going to happen. Sure, they could take her to the mainland (he’d feel a little guilty leaving her all alone on Tenrou), but they weren’t actually going to involve her in this! Hell, if Warrod was right, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>they’d</span>
  </em>
  <span> be biting off more than they could chew by going after Blue Skull. That was in no way suitable for a little girl! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Warrod merely shrugged, and tailed after her, with Precht silently trailing behind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seriously, guys?” Yuri whined. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Illusions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mavis and the treasure hunters arrive in Magnolia, and discover just what Blue Skull is like</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The trip back to Hargeon had revealed a lot about this </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mavis Vermillion.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But despite how much Yuri learned about her, he only developed more questions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d learned she really </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> meant to be a high priestess, but that the entire village had been slaughtered before she’d been able to complete her training, so her knowledge was incomplete, despite what she’d tried to teach herself with the books that had survived the burning and the looting. Apparently, most knowledge of the gods, practices, and rituals she would have learned was oral. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It certainly explained why there was so little common knowledge about Tenrou or its people. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d also learned the… worrying fact that she was apparently </span>
  <em>
    <span>dating</span>
  </em>
  <span> this imaginary friend of hers. Truly, Yuri did feel bad about it, but he’d tried to convince Precht and Warrod to tell her that Zera wasn’t real. It would have been one thing if they were going to leave her on Tenrou, she’d need that little bit of comfort, but if she was going out into the real world, she couldn’t be talking to thin air all the time. That… and some asshole was bound to point out that she was talking to nothing eventually. Wouldn’t it be better if they tried to break it to her… a bit more gently? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Precht had been vehemently against it, saying it would be much easier on her psyche if she came to that conclusion of her own accord, and Warrod had said he didn’t get what the big deal was. If she wanted to have an imaginary girlfriend, she could do what she wanted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri had reluctantly agreed not to say anything, but it still didn’t sit right with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But perhaps the most alarming thing he’d learned about Mavis was that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> a little girl. Or well… she wasn’t an adult, but she was sixteen! Sixteen, almost seventeen, she’d proclaimed when he asked. While Yuri knew some people were just small in general, something about Mavis… just seemed off. No sixteen-year-old should still </span>
  <em>
    <span>genuinely</span>
  </em>
  <span> look like a twelve-year-old. Why was she so little? Not just small, but… but </span>
  <em>
    <span>underdeveloped? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Was it the result of some kind of magic? Or her likely harsh living conditions, as Precht theorized? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever the case, there were many things about Mavis Vermillion that confused and concerned Yuri, and he doubted he was going to feel any better about her anytime soon. With any luck, they could find some orphanage to take her in. She needed that kind of support, and obviously they couldn't just let her follow them around forever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Yuri! Yuri!” Mavis tugged at his hand and drug him to the edge of the ship to lean over the railing. “Is that it, Yuri!? Is that the city!?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s Hargeon,” he said. “Fiore’s biggest port city.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah.” Mavis’s wide eyes practically glowed with excitement. “Is this where the orb is?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head. “Nah. If what you’re sayin’ is true and it really was Blue Skull that stole it, Warrod says it’ll be in Magnolia. That’s where their headquarters is.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis folded her arms over the railing and rested her chin on them. “Oh. How far away is that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” Yuri frowned, trying to picture a map in his head and pick out Magnolia on it. “I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> sure. It’s not exactly a bustling city, you know? But it’s pretty far inland, so maybe a day or two of train rides? If we end up having to walk though, it’ll take a hell of a lot longer.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis bounced up, smiling so widely Yuri swore it </span>
  <em>
    <span>must</span>
  </em>
  <span> have pained her cheeks. “We’ll get to ride a </span>
  <em>
    <span>train!?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she shrieked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gods, kid.” Yuri made a big deal of covering his ears with his hands. “You’re fucking loud!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!” Mavis clasped her hands together and bowed her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be. I just—I’ve never even gotten to see a train before, but I’ve read about them! I never thought I’d actually get to ride on one though!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri’s frown deepened, as he tried to wrap his mind around what she was saying. He really couldn’t grasp someone just </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> having ridden, or even </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen</span>
  </em>
  <span> a train before. Trains had been around his whole life! There was never a time when riding one had been particularly </span>
  <em>
    <span>exciting. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But he supposed if Mavis had never actually even seen one, it would be something absolutely incredible. “We’ll see if we have enough money for tickets to Magnolia after we sell what little stuff we found from smaller jobs before Tenrou, but we might not. By the way, none of that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sixteen</span>
  </em>
  <span> shit when we get to the station. Some stations don’t make people buy tickets for kids. Or at the least they’ll be cheaper. So you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>twelve</span>
  </em>
  <span> at the most, got it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis pouted, stuck her tongue out, and crossed her arms. But she did nod. “Fine. But what about Zera?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh…” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuri had no idea what Zera even </span>
  <em>
    <span>looked</span>
  </em>
  <span> like. Did she look the same age as Mavis? Or did she look like an actual teenager? “Well, do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> think she looks young enough to pass off for a little kid?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean…” Mavis shuffled her feet, and Yuri made a note to remember to get her some shoes. She couldn’t just be walking around barefoot. “I think she looks about the same age as me. Maybe a little older? Right, Zera?” Mavis leaned around Yuri, and looked towards wherever Zera was apparently “hiding,” due to her evidently being so shy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, then we’ll try and say she’s younger than she is, too, okay?” Yuri said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay!” Mavis chirped, before prancing over to converse more with Zera. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Gods…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuri shook his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is fucking exhausting. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Zera, isn’t this so cool!?” Mavis pressed her face against the window, watching the country-side whiz by. She focused her gaze on passing trees, following them as they zoomed by before disappearing, then fixed her gaze onto the next one. “I can’t believe we’re going so fast!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s unnatural,” Zera moaned from her place leaned against Mavis’s back. “I feel sick. No human should be going so fast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw, come on.” Mavis pulled away from the window, leaving little hand prints on it. “It’s cool! You’ve been in a bad mood ever since we left Tenrou.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She noticed Precht, Warrod, and Yuri glance towards her from their seats across the aisle, but she paid them no mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well yeah I’ve been in a bad mood!” Zera got back in her own seat and crossed her arms. “I don’t think this is a good idea! We can’t trust those men, and… and we’re going to go chase down the people who killed </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> we knew! What could we </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> do against people like that? And we don’t even know if returning the orb </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> get the gods to start speaking to us again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know all that…” Mavis sat back down as well, and kicked her feet, as she wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the floor while sitting. “Of course I do, Zera, it’s just… We couldn’t stay on Tenrou forever!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But why not!?” Zera shouted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh!” Mavis scolded. “You’ll bother the other passengers.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her girlfriend growled. “Oh, no I won't. And if you agree with me, then why did you still come? If… if you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to come to the mainland, we just could have done that! Why do we have to… to do all this dangerous stuff? I don’t want you to get hurt…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…” Mavis waved her hand. “I’m not going to get hurt.” Zera really worried too much for her own good. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Mavis.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed. “I… Zera… I just can’t explain it. I feel like there’s something for me to do, and I needed to leave Tenrou to do it. The closer we get to this Magnolia, the more I feel it. It’s… It’s like there’s something, </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone…</span>
  </em>
  <span> calling to me. Maybe it’s one of the gods, or the Orb itself. Maybe this guild stole more than the Orb! I don’t know… but I do know I have to go, even if it’s dangerous. I just know it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The gods…?” Zera began to fidget. “But the gods have never called to you before.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean… I do get those feelings sometimes,” Mavis pointed out. “Maybe that was them, and this one is just… stronger. I don’t know, maybe it’s more important. I am the High Priestess, after all!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… suppose that is true. Just please… please be careful Mavis,” Zera said. “I… I don’t want to leave you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Leave me?” Mavis laughed and shook her head. “Why would you ever leave me, Zera? I know you won’t, and I won’t ever leave you. We’ll be together forever!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, forever.” Zera smiled, but it seemed so sad. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Just as Yuri had predicted, it had been a day and a half of train rides to reach Magnolia. They’d even slept on the train! Which she could admit wasn’t very comfortable, but it had still been fun to Mavis! Though Precht, Warrod, and Yuri had all complained a lot in the morning about aching muscles and cricks in their bones. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they got off the train at the station in Magnolia, Zera gripped Mavis’s hand, and refused to let go, worry pinching her eyebrows together, and the corners of her mouth tugging down into a frown. Mavis couldn’t blame her at all. For all her tough talk and reassurances that they would always be okay, she was scared to encounter the people who had destroyed their home and everything they knew. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, Blue Skull would have no idea who they were unless they told them they were from Tenrou (something Mavis did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> intend to do unless it was necessary), but it was still… nerve wracking. These people were </span>
  <em>
    <span>murderers.</span>
  </em>
  <span> No, more than murderers. They were butcherers, monsters, and Mavis would never forgive them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And the only defense she and Zera had were these three men, that they weren’t entirely sure they could trust yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Precht, you’re the one who’s dealt with guilds the most,” Yuri said. “Anything we should be expecting?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” Precht blew out a deep breath from his nose. “It’s been a while since I have, and not any guilds like Blue Skull.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Warrod asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blue Skull is constantly at the Council’s throat, and they’ve almost had their guild status revoked a couple times,” he said. “Actually… if Mavis went to the Council to testify that they were the ones who massacred the people of Tenrou, and could prove she’d been on the island when it happened, they’d likely be declared domestic terrorists and be labeled as a dark guild if they didn’t submit to arrest.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis gasped. “I could do something like that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht glanced down at her. “Yes, if you were interested. I’d consider it, if I were you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded firmly. “I will! I definitely will.” She could actually get some kind of justice for her people if she appealed to the government here? She’d never even dared to imagine that might happen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So should we do that?” Yuri asked. “Why didn’t you bring that up earlier!?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I wouldn’t recommend it right away,” Precht said with a shake of his head. “If the Council believes her and declares them criminals and they don’t disband the guild, they’ll become even more dangerous, because at that point there would be no point in them following any laws. Obviously they don’t anyways, but they wouldn’t have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>pretend</span>
  </em>
  <span> anymore, and that would make them even more dangerous. Not to mention, the Council would likely seize any powerful magic artifacts they might have, like the Orb, and turn it over to the kingdom. We wouldn’t see a bit of profit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, that does make sense,” Mavis said. “So what should we do?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go home?” Zera suggested, tightening her hold on Mavis’s hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should go stake out the guild, right?” Warrod asked. “Get a rundown on how many wizards there are, how well the place is guarded? With any luck, we could just break in and steal it without causing a scene. After all, it ain’t like we can use magic, if it came down to a fight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that would probably be the best course of action,” Precht said. “So come on. Let’s go see where they’ve set up base. Stay close, Mavis. Do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> go wandering off.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t dream of it!” she exclaimed. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Zera gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as soon as they stepped out of the station. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magnolia was practically in </span>
  <em>
    <span>ruins.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The buildings were rundown and crumbling, the cobblestone roads were filled with cracks, and even the few people that were on the streets seemed… downtrodden, miserable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell…?” Yuri asked, glancing around with narrowed eyes as they walked down the street. “What did this?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feels like magic,” Mavis said, her tone dark. “There’s magic all over the place, it’s thick in the air.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Magic.” Warrod frowned. “Wait, kid, you can feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>magic?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded. “Of course. Can’t everyone?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No… for the most part, only wizards can, unless it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> strong magic,” he said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Mavis shrugged like it was no big deal. “But it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> magic I feel in the air.” She held her hands out, like she was feeling for it. “I think… I think it’s the magic that did all of this, makes it feel so... bad.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think it’s that damn guild?” Yuri asked. “Why the hell hasn’t the Council </span>
  <em>
    <span>done</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything!?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They might not know,” Precht said. “Look at this place. Look at the people.” His eyes trailed a woman scurrying down the street, her hands clutched to her chest and her eyes wild. “I’d bet you anything these people are being extorted and threatened.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s horrible!” Mavis gasped as she stomped her foot. “We have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> something!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis…” Zera shook her head, wishing she could get her friend to understand that sometimes you just couldn’t help people. They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>powerless</span>
  </em>
  <span> in this situation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like what?” Precht asked, voicing Zera’s own thoughts. “What could </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> possibly do here? And even if we could, why </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> we do something? What’s in it for us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because it’s the right thing to do!” Mavis explained. “Because these are innocent people who are hurting!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We ain’t looking to play hero,” Yuri said. “Sucks that this is happening, and we can report it to the Council as soon as we can, but it’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> job to try and fix it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis opened her mouth again, likely to argue, before she snapped it shut, something else catching her attention. “Oh…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zera asked, before she saw what her girlfriend was staring at. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Eep!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She clung onto Mavis’s arm. “What the hell is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that!?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I don’t…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, shit…” Yuri’s eyes widened. “Where the hell did they find </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they’d started down this particular street, Zera hadn’t paid much attention to the temple at the end of it. She didn’t care for what gods were worshipped out here; Mavis always talked about how her mother told her they no longer worshipped the </span>
  <em>
    <span>true</span>
  </em>
  <span> gods in Fiore. Therefore, she wasn’t interested in their temple. The quick glance she’d taken of it… well, she’d just assumed it was part of the architecture or something! But now that they’d gotten closer…. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a </span>
  <span>massive</span>
  <span><em> skeleton</em> draped over the top of it, its jagged bones jutting out like great spires. Its head hung over the edge, dangling just above the doors, and its wings were so large they brushed the ground on the sides of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a dragon!” Mavis shouted. “A dragon skeleton!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gods, it’s been ages since anyone’s seen a dragon skeleton. Why the hell is there one just in the middle of town here?” Warrod asked. “On top of a cathedral, no less.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s gotta be linked to Blue Skull somehow,” Mavis said. “It’s got that same thickness of magic on it, around it… I don’t know how to explain it… but—” Her eyes blew wide. “Get down!” She spun around to tackle Zera to the ground, just in time for a blast of magic to careen over them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera squeaked and curled up beneath her girlfriend, tuning out the screaming of the people on the street and the grunt of pain from Yuri. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A boot stomped down on Mavis’s back, squishing her against Zera as she cried out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis!” Zera shouted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man looming over him narrowed his eyes, likely confused as to why it seemed there was something else beneath Mavis, but he clearly didn’t care that much. “It’s been a while since anyone new has come to Magnolia,” he said. “So why the hell do you get off the train here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get off of her!” Warrod shouted, lunging towards the wizard and aiming a punch across his jaw. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man merely grunted and knocked him back with another blast of magic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera gasped, and tears pricked at her eyes as Warrod fell back, and didn’t get back up once his body hit the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wizard shoved down harder on Mavis, and she bit back a scream. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, trying to provide what comfort she could, while also keeping her eyes on Precht, who was trying to subtly help a wincing Yuri back to his feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>said,</span>
  </em>
  <span> what the hell are you doing in Magnolia?” the wizard asked. “Considering the way you were talkin’ about the Council, I don’t think you have any </span>
  <em>
    <span>positive</span>
  </em>
  <span> business with my guild.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re from Blue Skull,” Mavis growled, a dangerously determined look appearing in her eyes, drowning out the pain and fear in her expression. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?” the man grinned. “And the fuck has that got to do with you, ya little bitch? We don’t take </span>
  <em>
    <span>kindly</span>
  </em>
  <span> to people talking about the Council.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis grit her teeth, twisted around, grabbed the man’s ankle, and yanked as hard as she could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He yelped and topped forward, barely managing to catch his balance again before he fell face-first onto the cobblestone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis rolled out from underneath him, gripping onto Zera at the same time and taking her with her. “Run!” she shouted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht jerked Yuri to his feet and shoved him, leaving him to stumble down the street, and then he turned to heave Warrod up and drag him with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span> fucking brat—!” the mage snarled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis grinned and threw her hand out, and Zera finally realized what her plan was. “Mavis, as soon as he hits one of them, he’s going to realize they’re not real!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, so we just need to lose him before then!” She scrambled to her feet. “So, go! Go, go, go!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Illusions sprang to life around them, copies and copies and copies of Precht, Warrod, Yuri, Zera, and Mavis herself, all of them writhing and shouting and making the environment as loud and confusing as possible. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck!?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>the Blue Skull Mage shrieked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis grabbed Zera’s hand and yanked her down the street, sprinting to catch up with Yuri and Precht. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t say you had magic!” Yuri gasped, still clutching at his chest where he’d gotten hit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well you never asked!” Mavis shouted. “Now come on! Those illusions won’t last forever, and we need to get out of here!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get to the forest outside of town,” Precht said. “We can figure out where to go from there!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera tightened her grip on Mavis’s hand, and despite the chaos, and the sounds of the Blue Skull mage cursing them, she didn’t miss the way Yuri kept looking back at the illusions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Specifically, the illusions of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Zera.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the first time he’d ever seen what she actually looked like. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Zera knew it was only a matter of time before he told Mavis the truth. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Despite how little we got to see of it, Mavis's friendship with Yuri was one of my favorites in the whole series, and I really hope I do it justice</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Curse of Anhkseram</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mavis meets a strange person in the woods.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well my entire city has been completely iced over, so work and classes have been canceled, so maybe I can get a few new chapters written and posted this week!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Understand what I meant about not playing hero now, kid?” Yuri asked. “Huh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not that much older than me,” Mavis grumbled as she glared at the ground, her voice and expression sullen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>died!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he shouted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t know that he was going to kill us!” she protested. “Most likely he would have threatened us, or maybe even bribed us. No point in killing us without at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying</span>
  </em>
  <span> that, because then there would be bodies to clean up, and a possible investigation. They don’t know who might or might not know us, and know we were coming to Magnolia. He would have been stupid not to consider things like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri grit his teeth and shook his head. Damn, Mavis was difficult. “I don’t think he was thinking about any of that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m the one who saved us!” she exclaimed. “Shouldn’t you be </span>
  <em>
    <span>thanking</span>
  </em>
  <span> me?” She turned her nose up. “My illusions are the only reason we got away from him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, and we are thankful for that,” Precht said. “But Warrod was still hurt—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was too!” Yuri interrupted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And we couldn’t even handle </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the Blue Skull guys without ending up in a mess like that,” he said. “Personally, I think we should just consider this Orb a bust and call it a day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Yuri whined. “We’ve already spent so much money on it though!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, and I need it back for Tenrou!” Mavis added. She wasn’t just going to abandon this quest because Yuri and Precht got a little nervous around magic users. She’d handled that just fine, she thought! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well what exactly are you proposing we do against a whole </span>
  <em>
    <span>group</span>
  </em>
  <span> of people like that one man?” Precht asked. “These people massacred an entire civilization, and frankly, I’m starting to think we were morons for attempting this in the first place.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just give me a few days to come up with some kind of plan,” Mavis requested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Precht demanded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m good at plans!” she insisted. “I promise I am!” Mavis knew she wasn’t very smart when it came to certain things. Mostly common sense, according to Zera. But she knew she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> clever, and she loved to plan and strategize. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>certain</span>
  </em>
  <span> she could come up with a real plan, if only she had some time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis…” Precht sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, what do you even have to lose?” she questioned. “We’ll hide out in the forest, and give me three days to come up with a solution. If you don’t like what I propose, then we can leave!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She does have a point,” Yuri said. “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> we have to lose? Why not at least let her try?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you didn’t even want to bring her,” Precht argued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well… I’m just trying to make the best out of a shitty situation now,” he said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” Precht relented. “Three days. But if Warrod isn’t awake by tomorrow, I’m cutting that time short, because I want to take him to a healer or doctor.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis nodded. “That’s fair.” She could come up with a plan in that long, couldn’t she? “Zera!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera popped out from behind the tree she’d been hiding behind, likely trying to tune out the argument they’d been having. “Yeah?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going for a walk. You stay here, alright?” she requested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But Mavis—!” she began to protest, an indignant expression already on her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head. “No, I need a bit of time alone. And I… need to think.” </span>
</p>
<p><span>“Fine…” Zera said. “But only for an hour! If you’re not back in an hour, I’m coming to look for you. Those crazy wizards might be looking through the forest!” </span><span><br/></span> <span>“I doubt it,” Mavis assured her. “But I’ll be back in an hour.” </span></p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Leaves crumpled beneath Zeref’s fingers, crumbling to dust and falling through his hands. He sighed, and let his head fall back onto the tree he leaned against, the bark scratching the back of his head. He could feel as the tree withered away and died, as it became softer, then more brittle, creaking and groaning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gods, why had he even come back to Fiore? Even if he wanted a break from the budding country of Alvarez, he still should have stayed in the country. There was a reason he’d chosen the desert. There were significantly less things for him to kill in an environment like that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But something about Fiore… he wouldn’t exactly consider it home. Fiore had been founded nearly a century after he’d been born, but it was still made up of the land he’d been raised on, that had once been roamed by dragons. The country was just over three hundred years old now, and he wondered how much longer it would last before he inevitably had to watch it fall, like he had so many other countries and civilizations. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wondered how much longer he needed to wait for Natsu… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Sir, are you alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref’s eyes snapped open as he jerked up, and he cursed himself for not paying enough attention to realize someone was approaching. “St-Stay back!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl stopped, just a few paces away from him, before she clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward, her flowing hair tumbling over her body. “Stay back? You really shouldn’t be sleeping all alone in this forest. That town just over yonder is full of bad wizards.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Bad wizards.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Zeref nearly laughed at the irony of it. “I assure you, I’m fine.” He got back to his feet, and decided to slowly back away from the girl. If he actually ran, she might decide to give chase. “Now you really should get away from me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tilted her head. “I don’t understand. Are you in some kind of trouble?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! I just—” He stumbled over a tree root, and already, he could sense more of the trees dying around him. “Go!” he shouted. Not a sweet girl like this… Not her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref had never understood how the gods could be so cruel, so callous. Not only had they deemed him unforgivable simply for wanting his brother back, but it wasn’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>Zeref</span>
  </em>
  <span> they were punishing. They had decided it was okay for hundreds, </span>
  <em>
    <span>thousands,</span>
  </em>
  <span> of innocents to die, all in the name of tormenting him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was horrific, and this girl was going to be the next victim. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her eyes widened with awe as she spun in a circle, admiring all that dying flora. “The Curse of Anhkseram!” She held her hands out to catch the falling leaves. “I understand now… but I think I’ll be fine. How did you manage to end up with a curse like this?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref’s arms fell to his sides as he stumbled back another pace. How… how the hell did this girl know that name? Even hundreds of years ago when he’d first been cursed, very few people knew the name of what had happened to him. And now… now it was practically lost knowledge. “How do you know that?” he breathed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl offered him a small smile. “My mother told me it was the punishment for those who defied the will and fate of the universe itself. But she also said just because a person had it, didn’t make them bad.” She crept towards him, approaching him like he was a terrified animal. “How long have you been like this?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Three hundred years…” he replied automatically, still trying to figure out how the hell she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> this. She’d said her mother told her, but that didn’t make sense. “How do you know?” he asked again. “I don’t understand, it’s completely forgotten knowledge.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl grinned. “I’m the last High Priestess of Tenrou! I know all about the gods and things like curses.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref’s frown deepened. He’d never heard of Tenrou… Or wait… It was an island off the coast, wasn’t it? He <em>had</em> heard of it, years and years ago, but he hadn’t realized it had civilization on it. But… if it did, he supposed the girl's information made sense. If they were isolated from the main part of Fiore, they likely still taught the old ways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that still didn’t change the fact that she was in danger simply by being in his presence. Knowledge of the curse didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>protect</span>
  </em>
  <span> someone from it. She would die, just the same as everyone else. “You still need to go,” he insisted. “I don’t want to hurt you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s okay,” she said, that bright smile never leaving her face. “If I sense the magic building up, I can run. If you’ve had this for three hundred years, you must be so lonely.” She crept closer, and gently took his hand in her own. “Don’t you want someone to talk to?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref could do little more than stare at her. “Who… are you?” She was unlike any human he had met in a long while. She was so different from the people he was working with to get Alvarez on its feet, and even different than a lot of the people he’d gone to school with, which were the last ones… he’d ever actually gotten close with. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My name is Mavis,” she said, still not letting go of his hand. “And what about you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zeref…” He looked down at her hands, watching as her fingers curled tighter around his own. Her skin was so cold, and it was only then that he actually noticed the strange… aura around her. There was </span>
  <em>
    <span>magic</span>
  </em>
  <span> clinging to her, but not like a spell had been cast on her, more like… </span>
  <em>
    <span>she’d</span>
  </em>
  <span> been maintaining a spell for a very long time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zeref!?” she exclaimed. “Oh, I should have realized it sooner! I’ve heard stories about you!” She yanked him closer, intently inspecting him. “You’re a powerful wizard, aren’t you!? The Black Wizard Zeref!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah…” Zeref pulled back from her. “I… I suppose so…” He couldn’t say he liked the rumors and stories that had spread about him throughout the centuries. Most of them were just blatantly incorrect, and the ones that were true were blown out of proportion. And it was made even worse by the groups of people who’d started to </span>
  <em>
    <span>worship</span>
  </em>
  <span> him, a movement that was becoming far more popular in recent years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s smile disappeared, her mouth pressing into a thin line, and her eyes grew unfocused, as if she were thinking about something extremely hard. “Meaning you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> good at magic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… yes.” There was no denying that Zeref was a genius when it came to magic and magical techniques. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you teach us magic? Please, please, please, please!” She grabbed his hand again and began jumping up and down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Teach… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zeref shook his head, trying to wrap his head around the girl’s request. She wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> to teach her magic? Well, not just her, by the sounds of it. Evidently there were more people running around in this forest. “I can’t be around people,” he said. He would just end up killing them. Not to mention that… there were a rare few types of people he got along with anyways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mavis begged, her green eyes widening. “We need help if we’re going to defeat that—that awful dark guild and get Tenrou's treasures back!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want to fight… dark wizards…” Gods, regular humans really were something else, weren’t they? This little girl wanted to charge headfirst into a battle she would almost definitely lose. Sure, he might know a thing about this enemy she wanted to face, but considered how small, young, and inexperienced she was… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded. “Yes! I have to get the Tenrou Orb back to the island! If I do, maybe the gods will start speaking to us again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t want that,” Zeref muttered darkly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I do! It’s my job as the High Priestess to commune with them.” Then she shook her head. “But now… now I mostly just want to help all the poor people in that town. They’re scared, and hurting, and I know how that feels… I don’t want anyone to feel that way.” She smiled at him again. “And if you help us, maybe we can be friends? I’m sure you’d like friends, wouldn’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref sighed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Friends.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He’d never had friends his entire life. Even when he was a child, other kids… disliked him, and had tended to stay away from him and make fun of him. He distinctly remembered Natsu fiercely defending him a few times. “And if I hurt you? Or these friends of yours?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you won’t,” she said. “I promise. You can warn us when your curse is flaring up, and I can help sense it as well. Please, will you at least try? If anyone could teach the rest of them magic, it would be someone like you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref wanted to protest. He really, really did, for the sake of this girl and the people she knew. But the promise of human interaction, real, </span>
  <em>
    <span>genuine</span>
  </em>
  <span> human interaction, was just too tempting. “Okay. I will try, Mavis.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis, you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>got</span>
  </em>
  <span> to stop trusting random men you find in the woods!” Zera hissed, all while viciously shaking her girlfriend. “He could have hurt you, he could have </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed</span>
  </em>
  <span> you!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wizard, Zeref, turned his cool gaze towards Mavis. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Zera realized. He wasn’t look at Mavis, he was looking </span>
  <em>
    <span>directly</span>
  </em>
  <span> at her, like he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that was impossible! No one could see Zera other than Mavis! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, there was no mistaking it. He was looking </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> at her, and he raised an eyebrow at her. Despite that, he still didn’t directly address her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, Zera, you're overreacting," Mavis said with a wave of her hand, completely brushing her worries aside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re an expert in magic, huh?” Yuri asked, stepping forward to get in the man’s face, momentarily distracting him from Zera. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In certain areas of it, yes,” he said, inclining his head slightly. “That being said, once I figure out what kind of magic you have an affinity for, no matter what it is, I’ll be able to teach you the basics of understanding it and how to use it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And why the hell should we believe you?” Yuri pressed. “How do we know you’re not just with that fucked up guild in the city?” He gestured back in the direction of Magnolia. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Believe me or don’t.” Zeref turned his palms up. “I can’t say that I particularly care either way. Mavis here asked me for a favor, and I decided to oblige.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera’s frown deepened, and she tightened her hold on Mavis. Something about this man… it set her on edge. He just felt incredibly </span>
  <em>
    <span>unnatural. </span>
  </em>
  <span>A quick glance, and she saw the same worry and apprehension on Yuri and Precht’s faces. But as always, Mavis remained completely unphased. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry, I don’t trust you,” Yuri said with a curt nod. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref’s eyes flicked around the clearing, before eventually settling on Warrod. “I see your companion has been injured. From magic, if I’m not wrong?” He stepped around Yuri and kneeled down next to Warrod. “Would you like me to heal him?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref held his hand over Warrod’s chest, a faint glow emitting from his palm. Barely a second later, Warrod shot up, coughing and gasping. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See.” Zeref got back to his feet. “I mean you no ill will. Having said that, I can’t do what Mavis asked and teach you magic if you won’t trust me. So I’ll just be on my way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, wait!” Mavis bounded over to cling onto his arm. “We </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to learn magic! I’ve already got a bit of a plan, but for it to work, we’ll need more than just my power.” She turned her pleading gaze to Yuri and Precht. “Please, just trust him for a couple days! A couple of days to learn the basics of magic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” Precht said. “I’m sure knowing magic would make a lot of future jobs simpler anyways.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis clapped her hands together and squealed, not caring at all for the fact that Yuri was still trying to protest and that Zera was glaring at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell is going on?” Warrod demanded as he finally got his breath back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis met a crazy wizard in the woods who’s going to teach us magic so we can fight against that batshit guild,” Yuri grumbled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh… Great.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Law of Magic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mavis and the hunters enact their plan to steal back the Tenrou Orb</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As it turned out… much to Mavis’s chagrin… it took more than a couple days to teach Precht, Warrod, and Yuri magic. It had taken them a week to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>begin</span>
  </em>
  <span> to grasp the concept of magic, which Mavis just didn’t understand. Magic was so simple, was everywhere, it was merely a matter of drawing it into oneself and then directing it outwards again with a clear intention in mind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But evidently… for most people, it wasn’t so simple as that. They were having a hard time wrapping their minds around it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>According to Zeref, apparently Mavis was something of a prodigy, when it came to magic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht also seemed to have an easier time grasping it. Warrod wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> far behind him, but Yuri was easily having the most difficult time with it. It didn’t help that his affinity was for lightning magic, which was already difficult to control. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera, on the other hand… Zera refused to even be in Zeref’s presence, so Mavis did her best to relay his teachings to her girlfriend. She’d managed to learn a bit of fire magic, but admittedly… she wasn’t very powerful. Mavis really did wish she would actually talk to Zeref. He was a much better teacher than her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And despite how odd he could be, Mavis </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> starting to like him. He was a genuinely kind person, she thought. She couldn’t help but wonder what someone like him could have possibly done to incur the wrath of the gods, and she hadn’t had the courage to ask. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis… why do you trust Zeref so much?” Zera asked. “He… he feels so wrong. You’re not going to trust him to help in the fight tomorrow, are you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’m not.” Mavis undid the ribbons holding Zera’s pigtails in place. “He said he wouldn’t fight. He doesn’t want to accidentally harm anyone. I imagine, we probably won’t see him again after tonight.” It did sadden her, but honestly, Mavis was surprised Zeref had stuck around for the two months he had. He was clearly a wanderer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wondered why he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> stay. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh… I’m sorry, I know you… liked him,” Zera said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shrugged as she stepped into the hot spring. “He’s interesting, and I’ll miss him. But… it’s probably for the best. I think he does better alone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one does better alone…” Zera whispered, but before Mavis could reply, she grinned and jumped into the spring, letting the water splash over Mavis, completely soaking the rest of her hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zera!” she sputtered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know I love you, right, Mavis?” Zera asked, that little flash of mirth in her expression drying up immediately. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I do, Zera!” she exclaimed. “Is something wrong? You… you’re acting strange.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just promise me…” Zera took a step closer. “Promise me tomorrow… that you’ll come back to me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zera…” Mavis reached out, and pulled her girlfriend into a gentle hug. “I don’t know what’s been running through your head ever since we left Tenrou, but I promise you, I’m never going to leave you.” She carded her fingers through her hair. “You’re everything to me, you have been since the moment I met you, and you always will be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera melted into her hold. “I… I’m just so worried, about what you’ll do when… when I’m…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When you’re what, dear?” Mavis asked, pulling back and tipping Zera’s chin up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nothing.” Zera smiled, as if there weren’t tears sparkling in her eyes. “Just be careful tomorrow, alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.” Mavis pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “You know I will be. And afterwards, we’ll take the Orb back to Tenrou, and then we’ll go on an adventure. Finally find those fairies.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera blinked back the tears. “I can’t wait to find fairies with you.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Lightning sparked on Yuri’s fingers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Careful, sparky.” Warrod slapped his shoulder. “Don’t wanna waste all that lightning before we get out of here with that orb.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri sighed and clenched his fist. “You really think we’re gonna get away with this? This is a whole guild full of wizards, who have probably been practicing and using magic for years. We’ve been learning in the woods for like… two months. And sometimes our teacher randomly disappears.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Zeref is weird as hell,” Warrod agreed. “But I think it’s a pretty sound plan. Her illusions tricked them last time… evidently.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, but she’s still just a kid,” he argued. “A lot of this is hinging on her. And she’s the one who’s confronting those assholes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s sixteen, she’s really not as young as she looks,” Warrod reminded him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She has an imaginary girlfriend,” he said with an eye roll. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod ignored him. “And don’t you think it’s only fair she gets to confront the bastards who ruined her life? Besides, she’ll have Precht with her, and be honest… he’s much better at combat magic than us, at the moment.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not saying she shouldn’t get to do that, I’m saying it’s stupid to put all of this on her.” Yuri shook his head. “I… don’t think she’s stable. You know. Mentally. Explains why she got along with Zeref so goddamn well.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> she’s not mentally stable!” Warrod exclaimed with a laugh. “Her entire island was massacred, and she was left alone for so long that her mind fabricated a completely made up person just to have someone to talk to. No one is saying she </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> mentally stable. But there’s… not much we could really do about that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could tell her the truth…” Yuri said. “That Zera isn’t real, and that none of us can see her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gods, why are you so insistent on that?” Warrod shook his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just… it seems cruel, you know? And it’s not healthy,” he said. “I just… I don’t know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> not gonna tell her,” Warrod said. “Especially not when we need her illusions to pull this off. But if you’re so determined to tell her, at least actually think about what something like that will do to her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri glared at him. “I like you better when you’re not being serious.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ouch.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever. Let’s just try not to die today.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Zera sat at the edge of the forest, watching as the city of Magnolia went up in flames. She felt guilty that she couldn’t help, that she’d let Mavis give her the job of explaining to panicked townsfolk what was going on. Her girlfriend had easily believed her when Zera had said she didn’t think her magic was powerful enough to be useful, and Precht had come up with the idea to leave her to help the fleeing citizens of Magnolia. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As suspicious as she had been of the three men at first, she could admit they were growing on her. She couldn’t believe they went so out of their way to placate Mavis and act like… Zera actually existed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, watching the flames go higher and higher. Mavis’s illusions really were beautiful… so lifelike. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t believe that the little bit of teaching she’d gotten from Zeref had already helped her improve her magic so much. It made Zera wonder just how powerful Mavis could eventually be, and… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And how much it would help her power expand if Zera wasn’t here, if Mavis didn’t have to sustain her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why hello there, Zera.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera squeaked and scrambled to her feet, not used to </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> other than Mavis actually addressing her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> when Mavis wasn’t actually around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been wanting to speak to you since I first… met you,” Zeref said as he stepped towards her. “But you’ve been quite determined to avoid me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera backed against a tree, taking in a deep breath. How the hell was she </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to talk to someone other than Mavis? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been trying to figure it out….” Zeref mused, careful to keep his distance, but still staring intently at her. “But I just can’t. I realized you were connected to Mavis’s magic, and of course, it didn’t take much to figure out that most people couldn’t see you. So… what are you, dear Zera?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I…” Zera pressed harder against the tree, her fingers digging into the bark. “You can see me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well… I wouldn’t exactly say that.” Zeref shoved his hands into his pockets. “It’s more like I can sense your presence, your energy, and it’s… very unique, which is how I know you’re not purely made of Mavis’s magic, even if her magic is a very large part of you. So I’ll ask you again, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> are you? That… and obviously I can hear you, even if it’s garbled.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I’m Zera,” she said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m just Zera. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, that is your name, but that’s not what I’m asking.” His eyes narrowed, and shivers raced up and down Zera’s spine. She felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>pinned</span>
  </em>
  <span> by those eyes. Eyes that had seen too much, eyes that </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> too much. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I died,” Zera whispered, sliding back down to the ground, letting the tree bark scrape against her back. “Back on Tenrou… years ago… I burned, and I died.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears built in Zeref’s eyes and trailed down his cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera squeaked, and clutched at handfuls of grass, not expecting the absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorrow</span>
  </em>
  <span> in Zeref’s gaze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re dead?” he asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” Zera stared at the ground. “I think…. I don’t know… I just know I died… and then… then I was like this, and Mavis had no idea.” She brought her hands up to stare at them, watching as she curled each of her finger’s into a fist. “Somehow I knew I… wasn’t completely real, but she never did.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt… strange… to admit these things aloud. She never had before, as obviously she couldn’t tell Mavis, and there was no one else </span>
  <em>
    <span>to</span>
  </em>
  <span> tell. No one else to tell that she remembered the terror of dying, the pain of burning alive, and the disorienting strangeness of waking up in a body that was light as air and barely capable of affecting the world around it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Zera,” Zeref said. “Had I discovered you years and years ago… I might have been fascinated with you, but now… I simply feel sorry for what this means for you, and Mavis.” A darkness came over his expression that Zera did not like or understand, and she was forced to remember that this was a man that was over three hundred years old. “I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again,” he said. “But if my suspicions about Mavis are true… then I’m sure we will.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait!” Zera scrambled back to her feet. “What do you mean!? Tell me what you mean!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref shook his head. “I might be wrong, and I hope that I am. With any luck, none of us will meet again, Zera.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something deep in Zera’s chest told her that she wouldn’t be seeing Zeref again… but for some reason… she didn’t think she could say the same for Mavis. “When I’m gone…” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Because I will be gone eventually. I can feel it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Look out for Mavis for me. I… I can tell you two understand one another, and after I’m gone, please… please look after her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref sighed. “I hope I never have to. Now… goodbye, Zera.” The wind swirled up the dying leaves at his feet, and he vanished, leaving Zera alone, listening to the roar of imaginary flames. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Familiar, isn’t it?” Mavis asked as she dropped down to the ground, careful to keep her eyes peeled for Precht, who was hidden amongst her flames. “Everything, burning? You remember, don’t you? Remember the flames of Tenrou?” She stepped through the fire, letting it flow over her body, careful to keep her illusions at bay, leaving the Blue Skull mages to believe they were trapped, a ring a fire slowly, but surely, closing in around them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you remember what you did to my people?” she asked, keeping her voice as steady as possible, determined to keep up this cool facade, and not reveal how scared and angry she truly was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So far, the plan had been going perfectly. User her illusions to light the Blue Skull headquarters on fire, driving them out, and then have the fire spread through the rest of the town. While the townsfolk fled, Mavis and Precht were to distract the Blue Skull mages for as long as possible while Yuri and Warrod stole the Tenrou Orb. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And with any luck, they could rattle the Blue Skull mages enough that when the Council came to deal with them after they had been alerted, the dark wizards would be easier to be taken care of. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though Mavis could admit… being surrounded by flames, an avenging spirit of her people, while the monsters who had burned them alive cowered before her… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felt pretty damn good. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You burned my home!” Mavis exclaimed, taking a slow step towards them. “You destroyed everything the people of Tenrou cared about. And now… you will burn, too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the mages threw out their hand, shards of ice flying towards Mavis, but she deftly sidestepped them, and willed the flames to close in, but not so close that they wouldn’t notice there wasn’t exactly a lot of </span>
  <em>
    <span>heat</span>
  </em>
  <span> coming from them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The island will have its treasures back, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> will never hurt anyone ever again. The Tenrou Orb is—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Orb?” one of the wizards demanded, her voice shaking. “No, no, I don’t care who you are, you can’t get near that thing!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And why </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> I?” Mavis demanded. “It belongs to my people! And no matter what you say, you’re not—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill us all!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis grimaced, not sure if she liked how terrified the group of wizards were looking. The more scared they were, the harder they’d be to control, they might lash out. Though… perhaps she could work with their apparent fear of the Orb—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An earsplitting shriek had Mavis slamming her hands over her ears and wincing, her heart thrumming along with the horrific noise. The ground shuddered, and for a second, Mavis thought it might have been an Earthquake, until she saw it, outlined perfectly against her flames. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d tried to put distance between them and the Cathedral, but the structure was massive, and the skeletal dragon on top made it stand out even more. Except now… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Cathedral shuddered and groaned as the dragon stirred, pushing itself up, throwing its head back and roaring again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s illusions vanished as she lost concentration, and the Blue Skull wizards scrambled to get away from her. Precht rushed over from his hiding place to stand defensively in front of her, probably in case any of the wizards tried to attack her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But not a single one of them was interested in her, instead focusing all their energy on fleeing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to go,” Precht said, shooting a wary glance towards the dragon as it finished untangling itself from the spires of the Cathedral. “Now. I don’t know much about dragons, but—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do,” Mavis whispered, her eyes wide with awe. “I never thought… I’d actually see one.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s all well and good kid, but that thing isn’t friendly!” Precht said, trying to usher her away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dragon’s tail whipped out, demolishing a building with a single strike. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what about Yuri and Warrod?” Mavis demanded. “They were in that direction!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And they’ll know to run,” Precht assured her. “They can take care of themselves just fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Mavis jerked herself away from him. “No, I won’t go without them, and now is a great time to get the Orb!” She sprinted towards the Cathedral. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And the dragon. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>It was… dark. And cold. So dark and cold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had no idea why, what he did, how he got here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His body felt wrong, too big and too stiff. Just… just too much. Yeah, that was it, his body was </span>
  <em>
    <span>too much.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt things being smashed beneath his hands. Or maybe it was his feet? Honestly, he had no idea. He could scarcely tell up from down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was lost, and confused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he screamed. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Mavis skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding flying debris, courtesy of the dragon smashing through yet another building. “Stop!” she pleaded. Dragons were supposed to be intelligent, right? Sure, this one was a skeleton, but surely whatever had revived it had to have given </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> back to it? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first, she hadn’t cared. The dragon had terrified the Blue Skull mages into fleeing, and maybe they would stay gone long enough for the Council to get out to Magnolia. But then she had realized how much </span>
  <em>
    <span>damage</span>
  </em>
  <span> the dragon was doing to the city. It was destroying everything it came across, and Mavis didn’t want that! While most of the people of Magnolia had fled, she didn’t want them not to have anything to return to! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the dragon paid her no mind as it staggered through the city, its bones screeching and groaning against each other as it walked, wings and tail smashing through anything in its way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, please, stop!” Mavis was glad she’d managed to lose Precht in the chaos, as he likely would have been trying to keep her away from the dragon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What can I do? What can I do? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Where were Yuri and Warrod? Had that found the Orb? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Orb!” she gasped. Maybe the Orb could do something! It was a powerful artifact with a connection to the gods! Maybe she could somehow use it to… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She held her hands out, throwing her power across the city, searching for magical signatures, for Yuri and Precht, and anything unusual that might be the Orb, or any other artifact that Blue Skull had stolen from Tenrou. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She felt a little flicker a few streets over, that she quickly realized was Warrod, so at least that meant he was okay, and Precht was a few streets back, but where was Yuri? Why couldn’t she feel him? Why—? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Horrible realization washed over Mavis. “No, no, no, no… No, that can’t be…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waves of magic flowed from the skeletal dragon, but that hadn’t surprised Mavis. No, she’d been expecting that, and just searched for magic outside of the dragon’s power, but now she realized that it was multiple different magic signatures coming from the dragon, melding together, twisting into a horrific mass of magical power. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But beneath it all… right at the center of the power… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was Yuri’s magical signature. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yuri!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she screamed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What the hell had happened? Had… had he been transformed somehow? Or… or had he been blended with the dragon? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yuri, Yuri, you have to listen to me!” she shouted. “Stop destroying everything!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dragon, or… or Yuri, she supposed, didn’t even turn to look at her. Could he even understand her like that? Was he actually Yuri? Or were Yuri’s soul and magic just trapped and smothered within the storm of magic surrounding the dragon skeleton? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“YURI!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mavis ran forward, doing her best not to think about how Zera would yell at her if she knew what Mavis was about to do. “Yuri, I’m going to get your out of there, I promise!” She latched onto the dragon’s ankle, narrowly avoiding a whip of its tail. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was glad it was purely made of bones, making it much easier to climb up the dragon’s back leg, her fingers and toes easily able to hook into the grooves between the bones. Quite honestly, Mavis wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do once she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>on top</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the dragon, but she hoped she could come up with something. Besides, on top of it was… probably the safest place right now, considering the destruction it caused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yuri!” she growled. “How did you even </span>
  <em>
    <span>manage</span>
  </em>
  <span> this!?” She forced her way over the dragon’s hock and onto its back. “Is Warrod okay? Did he—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dragon lurched, and Mavis screeched, grabbing onto the dragon so tightly her fingers ached, just to avoid flying off of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She needed some way to separate Yuri from this dragon! But how the hell could she </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> that? All she had was her illusion magic! Zeref had never been able to get her to wrap her mind around other kinds, it just didn’t come as easily to her as her illusions did, but illusions weren’t going to help her right now. And quite obviously, Yuri wasn’t able to listen. Hell, he might not be more than an </span>
  <em>
    <span>energy</span>
  </em>
  <span> at this point. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Where the hell was his </span>
  <em>
    <span>body?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Had it been absorbed too? Or was it lying lifeless somewhere? If she </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> figure out how to remove Yuri from this skeleton, would he… just be dead? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head and grit her teeth. As much as she hated it, that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was keeping Magnolia safe from this rampaging dragon, and unfortunately, Yuri’s life couldn’t be more important than that. She just had to hope he would be okay after she forced them apart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As quickly as she could, she crawled up the dragon’s spine, clinging onto its vertebrae and spines for dear life, trying to reach its head so she could sit between its horns. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, Yuri… give me something,” she begged. “I don’t know what to do!” She wracked her mind, desperately trying to remember any spells Zeref might have mentioned that she could attempt. Maybe she should have waited for Precht… he had the affinity for way more types of magic than Mavis did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, she reached the head, and clung onto the dragon’s horn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think, Mavis… think, think, think.” She’d always prided herself on her ability to think fast, come up with plans, strategize. So why couldn’t she do it </span>
  <em>
    <span>now?</span>
  </em>
  <span> When it was most important? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This spell is special, Mavis. And I need to perfect it before they arrive, understand? I’m going to practice, but you’ll be perfectly safe.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis gasped, just as the dragon swung its head and she almost flew off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s a very powerful spell, and I can’t wait to teach it to you one day. But it can be dangerous if you don’t do it right. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis had never once considered attempting the spell that had gotten her mother killed. She’d actually tried to completely forget it, forget the way her mother’s body had rotted away and decayed right before her eyes. She’d only confided in Zera about it a rare few times, and hadn’t brought it up in years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But… but if it was so powerful… it might be all Mavis could do. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if her body rotted away just like her mother’s… at least this city would be safe, and she could rely on Zera, Precht, Warrod, and hopefully Yuri to finish taking care of Blue Skull. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Law.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mama, I know you never got to teach it to me, but I’m sure I can do it,” she whispered. She carefully uncurled herself from the dragon’s horn, and laid her hands on the top of its skull. “I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Zeref said to just visualize it. I can do anything if I can visualize it. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Visualize the Law spell. The dragon, the magic, it’s all the enemy. Get rid of it, and save Yuri. Yuri will be all that’s left. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled the magic into her body, more and more and more, more than she had ever pulled in before. It made her fingers tingle, her body ache, but it didn’t matter. If she didn’t have enough magic for the spell, there was a much higher chance it would backfire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to save you, Yuri.” It didn’t matter that he had never seemed to like her all that much, it didn’t matter if she would never get to bring back Tenrou’s sacred treasures. If she could save him, and this town, then it would be worth it. She would have done something with her life, honored the gods with it, just like her mother would have wanted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pressed her hands harder against the skull, the smooth material smashing against her palms. “Here we go.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She forced the magic out, a deep golden light enveloping her body as her magic </span>
  <em>
    <span>exploded. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dragon screeched and thrashed, but Mavis held on tight, hooking her legs around the base of its neck, forcing more and more of her magic into the skeleton. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Save Yuri. Punish everything else. Save </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yuri! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her vision began to go fuzzy at the corners, her head spinning in circles. While she had read many times about the dangers of magic overuse, Mavis had never experienced it herself. But she knew she had to keep going. She had to keep pushing her magic until Yuri and Magnolia were </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her body </span>
  <em>
    <span>ached,</span>
  </em>
  <span> like she was being smashed beneath too much gravity, and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “Please, please, please. I have to do this. I have to!” She ran through the gods names in her head, asking each and every one of them for strength. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The skull molded around her fingers, softening as if it were made of clay. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis gasped, her vision tunneling as the dragon skeleton disappeared beneath her fingers, melting away into nothing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yuri!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Darkness overtook everything, leaving Mavis gasping and trying to figure out what was going on, if she’d succeeded, or if the spell was backfiring horribly. “Zera! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Zera!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More pains ran through her body, sharp and vicious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She thought someone might have called her name, but she wasn’t so sure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everything disappeared. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Now, I know you might be thinking, "Hey, Kaz, there's like ten more chapters of this and you've basically completed the Zero arc, so what the fuck is the rest of this?" </p>
<p>Yeah.... I have a lot of things planned for Zeref and Mavis that's pretty different from canon, and it's important to know a lot of it before Alvarez, and even some of the time skip stuff. The actual Zero arc didn't actually differ that much from canon, so I didn't want the main focus to be on that part. So yeah, the rest of this is going to be very Mavis and Zeref centric, with a hefty dose of world building</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chasing Fairies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yuri and Zera come to the conclusion that Mavis needs to know the truth</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Zera curled up next to Mavis’s side, softly carding her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair, and pressing a soft kiss to her temple. “Please, please wake up, Mavis. Why’d you do that stupid spell?” She brushed her bangs back, getting them out of her face, though it wasn’t like that really mattered. It’d been four days, and she still hadn’t woken up. Hadn’t even stirred. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doctors in Magnolia had no idea what was wrong with her; they couldn’t find anything physically wrong, other than her small size, which they theorized had something to do with malnourishment in her youth. While at first they’d thought that could make her more susceptible to sickness and the like, it wasn’t any illness that had caused this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For once, Zera was glad to be an illusion, since the doctors could never tell her to leave, or that she couldn’t lie in bed with Mavis, since they had no idea that she was even there. But Precht, Warrod, and Yuri had to be chased out on occasion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe they cared more about Mavis than Zera had originally thought. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, they started getting the town rebuilt today,” Zera said. “Not just the dragon damage, but from Blue Skull too, since the Council finally got out here last night. Precht and Warrod have been filling them in on everything, and as soon as you’re awake, I think you should tell them about Tenrou, since they’re leaving that decision up to you.” She readjusted herself, so she could hold Mavis’s hand. “But, what members of Blue Skull that haven’t just turned themselves in are wanted for arrest, based on what’s happened to Magnolia alone, thanks to a lot of the citizen’s testimonies, and damages to the city courtesy of the reanimated dragon. Since we… decided not to tell them that was actually Yuri.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, Mavis didn’t reply to a single thing Zera was saying. She didn’t so much as twitch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door slowly creaked open, and two people shuffled inside. “She’s right here,” Yuri said, gesturing to Mavis. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman who was with him hummed. “And you say she’s been unconscious for four days?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri nodded. “Best thing anyone can come up with is magic overuse, but… if that were true, she should be awake by now, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera hopped out of the bed as the woman approached Mavis, not wanting to be in the way. She always hated the feeling of living things reaching through her. Not to mention, based on the Council robes the woman was wearing, she might actually be able to tell what was wrong with Mavis, and Zera didn’t want her magical signature throwing anything off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unless it was an </span>
  <em>
    <span>extreme</span>
  </em>
  <span> over usage,” the woman said. “And I do mean deadly, then yes, she should have at least woken up a few times, even if she was still very fatigued.” Her eyes narrowed as she examined Mavis. “How old did you say she was?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sixteen, believe it or not,” Yuri said with a wry smile. “I know she’s a bit small, but—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something has stunted her growth,” she interrupted. “Severely.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, the doctors thought it might have been due to being malnourished when she was younger—” Yuri began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head. “No, I mean something unnatural. There’s… a very strange magical energy around her, one she is sustaining, even now.” She scoffed. “Well, that’s probably your problem. Her magic is practically drained, but there’s still a spell she’s stubbornly maintaining, even unconscious.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis…” Zera really should have realized that sooner. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> fault, wasn’t it? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What kind of magic does she use?” the woman asked, after gently laying her hand on Mavis’s pale forehead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Illusion magic.” Yuri stepped closer and leaned over her. “What do you mean, she’s still sustaining a spell?” His hand came up to clutch at his chest, a worried look coming over his face, and Zera realized he was probably worried that Mavis was still sustaining the spell that had separated him from the dragon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The magical energy I’m sensing is quite old,” she said. “Years old. Gods, I’ve never seen someone so young able to sustain a single spell for so long. Has she ever mentioned what spell it might be?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri shook his head. “No, I’ve got no damn idea.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” She took a deep breath and stepped back from Mavis. “I can’t forcibly make her give up that spell, even while she’s unconscious. You were right, in a way. She’s like this due to magical overuse, but it’s just going to take her longer to recover due to this spell. Give her a few more days, and she should wake up. If she doesn’t… get one of us to come take another look at her, and see if we can do anything, alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, thanks,” Yuri said with a nod. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera let out a breath of relief. At least that meant Mavis would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And then I would recommend talking to her about this spell she’s maintaining,” the woman said. “It’s hurting her. It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>been</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurting her for years. Hindering her growth, and gods know what else, and she’s never going to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>begin</span>
  </em>
  <span> to recover if she keeps this up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears bubbled in Zera’s eyes, though she didn’t bother to wipe them away. Why should she? No one could see her crying. No one even knew she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>here.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Zera </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the one who was hurting Mavis. She’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>been</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurting her for years, ever since she’d first been created, or revived, or whatever had happened. And unless Mavis finally let her go… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had to tell her. Zera </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to tell her the truth, no matter how much it hurt, and convince Mavis to let her go. That it was time to move on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zera!” Yuri exclaimed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera jumped, convinced Yuri was actually addressing her somehow, before she realized he’d just come to the same conclusion that she had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who’s Zera?” the woman asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… Well I don’t know, really,” Yuri said, his eyes widening as he connected all the dots. “Mavis, she has… well we </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought</span>
  </em>
  <span> it was an imaginary friend or a hallucination or something, named Zera, except Mavis thinks she’s completely real. Could… Could this Zera be an illusion that the rest of us just can’t see?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman hummed. “I suppose that is entirely possible, and if it’s true that this girl thinks her illusion is completely real, she’s not even aware that her magic is sustaining it, which is how it's still feeding off her right now, even when she has hardly any magic left. It also means that as soon as Mavis knows it’s an illusion, the spell will almost immediately be broken, her body giving up on it once it realizes how negatively it's affecting her. Basically, her survival instincts will kick in, and it’s unlikely she’d ever be able to recreate this illusion now that she’s aware it’s just that. An illusion.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So if I tell her the truth? That will help her?” Yuri asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In my opinion, yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera clutched handfuls of her shirt, trying to decide if she wanted to let Yuri be the one to tell Mavis, or if it would be better coming from her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head. She still had a couple days left to decide, and then… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d tell Mavis goodbye. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re gonna tell her?” Warrod asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to,” Yuri said. “It’s not just me personally thinking it would be better for her now. We have confirmation that this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurting</span>
  </em>
  <span> her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod sighed, and laid his hand on Yuri’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “You want me and Precht to be the ones to tell her? You don’t have to be the one to do it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri shook his head. It needed to be him. As much as he hated having to be the one to do it, he owed it to Mavis. If it weren’t for her, he’d either be dead, or forever trapped in that terrifying body that hadn’t been his. It wasn’t fair that he had recovered almost immediately, while Mavis was the one hurt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not just hurt. She had to lose her best friend, the one person who had been by her side for </span>
  <em>
    <span>years. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, alright.” Warrod let his hand fall away from Yuri’s shoulder and land in his lap. “What are we going to do after?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri shrugged. “No damn idea.” They didn’t have one bit of money. The Tenrou Orb had been the thing that had melded Yuri with the dragon as soon as he’d touched it, and whatever spell Mavis had used to save him had completely destroyed the dragon and the Orb, leaving only Yuri behind. But that also meant they couldn’t sell the Orb, and Mavis couldn’t take it back to offer it to her gods. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hell, after Zera was gone, Mavis might not want to go back to Tenrou at all. What would even be left for her there, other than painful reminders? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need some way to make money,” Warrod said. “We have this magic now, think we could figure something out with that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure Precht can come up with something,” Yuri said. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you ever do anything like that ever again!” Zera shrieked. “You could have </span>
  <em>
    <span>died! </span>
  </em>
  <span>What if you’d died? You </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> die, Mavis!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zera, Zera, calm down,” Mavis laughed, just letting her girlfriend jostle her around and get it out of her system. “I’m right here, I’m okay. I’m just a little tired and sore.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were unconscious for a week!” she shouted, her voice managing to get even </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> shrill. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, but I’m right here now, and everything worked out just fine,” she said with a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Orb was destroyed!” Zera argued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Mavis deflated a little at that. Precht had informed her of everything that had happened as soon as she woke up calling for Yuri and demanding to know if he was okay. But the Orb being destroyed was a small price to pay for everyone getting out of this mess alive, and Blue Skull being taken care of. “But I can live with that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can! We’ll just have to go on another adventure to find a new treasure to bring back to Tenrou for the gods!” She took Zera’s hands in her own. “Doesn’t that sound great, Zera?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” Zera glanced down at their hands, something sad in her expression. “Mavis, we need to—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis.” Yuri appeared in a doorway, a strained smile on his face. “Precht told me you were awake. Feel like going for a walk?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh…” Mavis glanced back towards Zera. “Want to go for a walk?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera shot Yuri a glance. “You just go. I’ll catch up in a bit, alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. Go on, Mavis.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“I wanted to thank you for saving me,” Yuri said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it was no trouble at all, Yuri!” Mavis exclaimed as she clasped her hands behind her back and skipped along next to him, her eyes darting over the city, watching as people worked to rebuild everything that had been destroyed. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” Then she frowned. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> okay, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He roughly set his hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. “Yeah, I’m just fine. Had some doctors check me out, and they couldn’t find anything wrong.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about a magical healer?” she asked worriedly. “What if—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise I’m okay,” he assured her. “Besides… I… had something I wanted to talk to you about.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I destroyed the Orb, I really didn’t mean to, and I know I costed you money—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no.” He shook his head. “It’s nothing like that, I just… A council member came to check you out when you were unconscious, and she told me why it was taking you so long to heal, and she had a theory about why you weren’t growing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m perfectly alright with being small,” Mavis said. And she was! It had never bothered her before, and it wasn’t about to any time soon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, you say that now, but…” He took a deep breath. “It’s not just about you being small, Mavis. She said you were underdeveloped, as in you </span>
  <em>
    <span>literally</span>
  </em>
  <span> still have the body of like… a twelve or eleven year old. It’s harming you, it’s made you weak and susceptible to all kinds of disease and fatigue and problems like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…” Mavis stared down at the cobblestone. “But… I’ve never noticed that before?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe not on Tenrou, where there were no other people, and you could rest whenever and wherever you wanted,” he said. “But it’s bound to become more apparent out here on the mainland. You… You can’t just live this way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, what am I supposed to do?” she asked with a shrug. “I was just born this way, wasn’t I? There’s not anything to do about that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s… She said it was because you’ve been maintaining a spell for way longer that you should have been, like years and years and years, and that you need to stop.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> think she was wrong!” Mavis said. “I’m not maintaining any spell like that. Before Zeref, I could hardly keep my illusions sustained for more than ten minutes or so.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what if this spell was the reason for that?” Yuri asked. “What if all your magic power was going towards that, rather than anything else?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” Mavis gnawed on her lip. “If I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> maintaining some kind of spell like that, sure, that would make sense. But I’m not! Don’t you think I would know if I were doing something like that?” She had no idea why Yuri was going on about this! It just didn’t make any sense. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Mavis.” He stopped walking, and gave her a hard look. “I don’t think you’re aware of it all, but that doesn’t mean you’re not doing it. And for your own safety… as much as I hate it… you need to let this spell go.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t know</span>
  </em>
  <span> what you’re talking about!” she shouted. “You’re not making sense! I don’t understand what—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s me, Mavis.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis whirled around, coming face to face with Zera. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s always been me,” she said, taking slow steps towards her. “You’ve been using your magic to sustain me, ever since Blue Skull attacked Tenrou.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” Mavis demanded, her voice beginning to shake. She didn’t like how serious Zera was, and she didn’t like the doubt she was starting to feel. “How could my magic even do something like that? It’s not healing magic, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> you needed it to stay alive, I couldn’t—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not real, Mavis,” she said. “I’m an illusion, and I always have been.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” she shouted, rushing forward to grab Zera’s shoulders. “No, that’s not true! Stop lying! I can touch you! I can talk to you! Yuri can talk to you!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera shook her head. “No, Yuri can’t. Yuri can’t see me at all. No one but you can.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-But—” She turned to look over her shoulder. “Yuri! Tell her she’s being ridiculous! You can see her just fine!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis, I…” He bowed his head. “I can’t. I know she has to be right there, but to me, it looks like you’re holding onto thin air, talking to nothing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis turned back to Zera, and she couldn’t stop the stream of tears leaking from her eyes. “Well even if you are an illusion I don’t care! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, and I’ll keep you here with me! I don’t care what it’s doing to me!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera shook her head. “You can’t. I don’t want you harming yourself, just for me. Besides… now that you know, it’s only a matter of time before I fade. You’ve been doing all of this subconsciously, it won’t work otherwise. See.” She held up her left hand, and much to Mavis’s horror, it was already see-through, fading away to nothing. “It’s already happening.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Mavis held onto her tighter, pulling her into her chest. “No, I won’t let you go! I need you! I love you! We were supposed to go find fairies together!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How was she supposed to survive without Zera? How was she supposed to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> without Zera? She’d always been right there, right by her side, and Mavis didn’t— She couldn’t— </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera pressed her forehead against Mavis’s. “I’ve known this was coming for a while now,” she said. “Ever since we left Tenrou. But you have other people now. You have Yuri, and Warrod, and Precht. And… And even Zeref, when he comes back. I know you can do it. You’ll do great things, without me there to hold you back.” She pressed a soft kiss to Mavis’s cheekbone. “If anyone can find a fairy, it’ll be you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I don’t want to…” She shook her head, still desperately clinging to Zera, though she could feel patches of her body beginning to fade. “If it’s not with you, I don’t want to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t say that…” Zera stroked her hair. “I know you’re going to live a very good life, and when we eventually meet again, I know you’ll have the best story to tell me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zera!” Mavis sobbed. “Please, please, don’t leave me! Don’t! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You gave me a very happy life, Mavis,” Zera whispered. “I’ve thought of a thousand things I wanted to tell you when this happened, but now… I just want you to know you made me happy.” She gave her one last chaste kiss. “I’ll see you again one day, alright? I love you, Mavis. I love you so, so much. But we need to say goodbye for now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis helplessly shook her head. “But I don’t want to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera smiled, silent tears sliding down her cheeks, and her body faded into golden light, leaving Mavis to grasp at thin air. “No… No!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri rushed over to wrap a comforting arm around Mavis’s shoulders, but she didn’t care. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zera was gone. Zera had basically </span>
  <em>
    <span>died.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis fell to her knees, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>wailed. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Field of Corpses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mavis grapples with the Trade Wars, before making an important discovery</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, this is the chapter where the lore really starts to come into play</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“There were over three thousand casualties.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis heaved a sigh and bowed her head. She’d hoped her calculations were off, but then… they never were. “That better be including civilians.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The general nodded, his movements stiff. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” Mavis braced her arms on the table, eyeing the map laid out in front of her. “If you had just done what I’d suggested, we could have avoided the fighting going into that town, and we likely wouldn’t have any civilian casualties at </span>
  <em>
    <span>all.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The general scoffed. “Well </span>
  <em>
    <span>excuse</span>
  </em>
  <span> me, for not listening to a fucking eleven year old! This is a war, and we hired your guild as </span>
  <em>
    <span>soldiers, </span>
  </em>
  <span>not as commanders.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis raised an eyebrow. “I’m twenty-seven years old, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> guild is only working for you because I have told them to. If I were to give them the word, they would pull back and you would only be left with your men, to fight rival guilds, </span>
  <em>
    <span>without</span>
  </em>
  <span> magic. Is that what you want?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The general paled, but seemed smart enough to hold his tongue after her threat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, that’s what I thought.” Mavis turned back to the map, and worried her lip. With any luck, Warrod would be returning soon with more information on the locations and numbers of their enemies. “Now, if you don’t want us to walk, I suggest taking my strategies into consideration in upcoming battles, because I refuse to participate in a war where civilians are mere collateral. Fairy Tail’s reputation can take the hit if we walk out on a single client.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am,” he forced out through gritted teeth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. That’s all I wanted,” Mavis said, dismissively waving her hand, indicating she wanted him out of her tent. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He left with a grumble, and for what felt like the ten millionth time, Mavis wondered if the money was truly worth it. She didn’t care about trade routes at all, and this war had already stretched on for two years. Fairy Tail had changed loyalties quite a few times, siding with the highest bidder, but…. That was what all the guilds in Fiore were doing, so Mavis really didn’t feel any guilt over it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However… the war was only getting messier, and in the past few months, it’d been more than guilds, trade companies, and soldiers that were getting caught up in the conflict, and Mavis was getting closer and closer to dropping out of the war. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If her suggestions to help preserve the lives of citizens continued to be ignored, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be pulling Fairy Tail back, and without their help, this faction would inevitably fall. If she genuinely believed that would end this pointless struggle, she would fall back in an instant, but she knew this faction would merely be overtaken by another one of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>many</span>
  </em>
  <span> factions that were involved in this war. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She grit her teeth, and curled her fingers against the table top. She just needed a </span>
  <em>
    <span>plan.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey now, you’re going to give yourself a migraine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis glanced up, and brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Oh, hey, Yuri. How many prisoners did we end up with?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thirty-seven, Rita is dealing with them now,” he said. “Not a lot, but… that’s probably a good thing, in the long run.” He stepped over to lean over her shoulder. “Gods, I still don’t get how you do this kinda shit. Just thinking about it makes my head feel like it’s going to explode.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes well, thinking was never exactly your strong suit, Yuri.” She reached up and lightly slapped his cheek. “Best keep you as a foot soldier.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri growled, but didn’t try to deny it. “Why the hell are we even out this far anyways? We’re practically on the border.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shrugged. “Who knows? But I don’t like it. If we end up going over the border, we could incite conflict with another country, rather than just this civil war, which could be disastrous.” Her frown deepened. “I’m going to try and lead away from the border, but I’m having a hard enough time trying to convince people not to fight in civilian areas.” She leaned down against the table, pressing her forehead against the rough wood. “I’m so </span>
  <em>
    <span>tired</span>
  </em>
  <span> of people. Sometimes I wish I’d just stayed on Tenrou.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, technically you could go back, no one’s stopping you,” Yuri chuckled as he ruffled her hair. “And if you wanted to pull back, you know the entire guild would be behind you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t just step down as Master,” she protested. “You would all run the guild into the ground within a few days!” She stood back up and spun around to face Yuri. “Zera would have my head if I ruined her legacy like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri rolled his eyes. “We’re not as helpless as you seem to think.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She crossed her arms and turned her nose up. “Please. I’m the brain of this operation, and I have been since day one. There’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>reason</span>
  </em>
  <span> I was named guildmaster. Plus! I have eleven years of experience now! And how many do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> have?” She poked him in the chest, a teasing grin spreading across her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri just scoffed. “You’re gonna have to name a successor one day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, I'll worry about that later, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” she said. “Now… I really do need to figure out some kind of strategy. There’s enemy troops closing in on—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Mavis!” Warrod pushed the flap of her tent open. “We found some things we think you might be interested in in that village that got trashed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mouth pressed into a thin line, and her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” Warrod rubbed the back of his head. “We don’t know exactly. It was this old chest in this house that got destroyed, no one’s claiming it, and the magic on it… just feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>weird.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It looks old as hell, too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As much as she needed to be focusing on this instead, Mavis could admit that had her interested. Besides, maybe a break was what she needed at the moment. “Alright, take me to it.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Seeing the ruins of the town made Mavis even angrier. This could have been so easily avoided if they’d just listened to her and pulled back the right flank to let the enemy come to them. But instead, this entire town had been destroyed, and countless innocent lives had been lost. Not to mention those that survived no longer had homes or anywhere to even take shelter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vast majority of the houses and buildings had been demolished, some of them were still smoldering, and the magic was thick in the air. Hell, for people without magical abilities, it might even be difficult to breathe considering how strong it was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She did her best to ignore the broken bodies scattered around. Of course, by this point in her life, Mavis was used to seeing death and decay, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it. She’d much rather go the entire rest of her life without seeing another mutilated corpse, though she knew the likelihood of that was practically nonexistent. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Back this way,” Warrod said, motioning for her to hurry up. “Precht’s got it with him. He decided to wait for you before opening it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis hummed, her interest only increasing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They rounded a pile of rubble, and she saw Precht lugging a trunk out of a demolished house. “Ah, hello, Mavis,” he said</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At once, Mavis understood what Warrod had meant about strange magic, and some strange cocktail of excitement and dread spread through her chest, as she came to the realization that the unbelievably strong magical presence in the town wasn’t coming from the previous conflict, but rather </span>
  <em>
    <span>this chest.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She rushed forward, and fell to her knees next to it. “You said no one’s claiming it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht shook his head. “No. Actually, most people we’ve asked about it want absolutely nothing to do with it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis ran her hands over the chest. It wasn’t anything special, just plain dark wood with some iron clasps to keep it closed. She supposed the owner of the chest could have gotten killed in the battle, but she hoped not. Never mind that she would feel bad about just taking something like this, she had questions about where it came from, just based on the magical energy it had alone. She hadn’t even seen what was inside yet! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please go see if you can’t find out who it belonged to?” she requested. “I’m going to see what’s inside, but I don’t want to take it without permission.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht nodded. “Sure thing, Mavis.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod kneeled down next to her. “What the hell do you think is in this thing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head. “I have no idea.” She couldn’t stop the smile tugging at her lips. “But it feels ancient.” As quickly as her fingers would allow, she undid the clasps, and flipped the lid back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dust billowed out from inside it, causing Mavis to wheeze and try and wave it away. “Gods, well it looks like no one’s been </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> interested in it,” Warrod grumbled, before turning his head away to sneeze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the dust subsided, Mavis plunged into the chest, brushing aside the musty cloth that had been laid on top to protect the contents. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Most of the space was taken up by old books, that Mavis intended to read cover to cover later, but for the moment, she devoted her attention to the little trinkets, carefully wrapped in more fabric to protect them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first one she grabbed was small, tiny, just large enough to span the length of her hand. As carefully as possible, she unwrapped it. The fabric unspooled, leaving a small, dark key to fall into her hand. “Whoa.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?” Warrod asked. “What’s so cool about a key?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never thought that Ophiuchus was real!” she exclaimed. “I always thought it was a myth, you know? That means there’s really thirteen Zodiac keys, rather than twelve!” She held the key up to her face, her eyes tracing over every intricate groove in it. “I wonder if the Heartfilias know anything about this…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, there’s a note with it,” Warrod said, picking up a piece of paper that had likely fallen out of the wrapping while Mavis was too distracted with the key itself. “It says it’s property of the Agurias.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis frowned and snatched the paper from Warrod, her eyes skimming over it. It had been written in a slightly different dialect, but given how old these things were, that wasn’t surprising. Thankfully, it wasn’t too different that Mavis couldn’t understand it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The Ophiuchus Key has been hidden at the request of the Agurias, only to be returned when the time is right. A deep power has been associated with this Key, and it is not meant to be used again until the two daughters of Aguria walk the world again. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s frown deepened. “Weird.” But she wrapped the key and note back up in the cloth setting it off to the side. Assuming they were able to take this chest and all its contents with them, she could worry about deciphering cryptic messages like that later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who are the Agurias?” Warrod asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t know about </span>
  <em>
    <span>who,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mavis said. “But there are myths of Agurias, they’re ah…” She twisted her wrist, rotating her hand as she tried to come up with the best way to explain. “You know the angels, that they worship, in places like Cardia Cathedral?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, they’re kind of like that. I think angels might have been based on them, but I can’t say for sure.” Honestly, she was fairly certain a lot of current religions had been based on the old ways and gods, even if no one but her knew it. “Though… if these supposed Agurias are real people or beings, it makes sense that they would be the ones to tame Ophiuchus, since he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> a snake of darkness, and the Agurais were meant to be guardians of light. That’s just speculation though.” She shrugged. “It’s not like it really matters, these old myths aren’t going anywhere, and I have my whole lifetime to figure the rest of them out, and discover what’s true and what’s been taken out of context. I’ll just have to add these Agurias to the list.” She turned her attention back to the chest, and dug the next item out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No way!” she exclaimed as soon as she unwrapped it. “I never thought I’d get to see something like this!” She turned the stone tablet over, running her fingers along the runes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell is it?” Warrod asked. “Just looks like a hunk of rock to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis had to bite back a groan. Oh, what she wouldn’t give for someone who knew as much about the gods and the myths to be here with her right now. “This is the Yesta seal! It was used to seal the god Chronos away within their bloodline over a thousand years ago! It was one of my favorite stories when I was a kid!” Her smile returned in full force. “My mother always talked about taking me to the island where the Yesta line started one day, Mildian, see where the battle and ceremony took place.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod raised an eyebrow. “So you actually believe that happened?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugged. “To a certain degree, yes. I admit, I don’t as readily believe in the gods the same way I did when I was younger, but I do believe the gods existed, and that most myths happened one way or another. And this seal is proof that something </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> happen. I mean, can’t you feel the magic in it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure,” he said. “It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Most ancient magic is like that.” Delicately, Mavis placed the seal next to the key, and sifted through the rest of the items in the chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hilt of the Grudge Blade, Fleuve D'étoiles, and pages upon pages of multiple different types of Lost Magic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis had no idea how all of these things had been accumulated, or what they were doing out in the middle of nowhere like this, and she could only hope that some of the books held answers to that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled one of the books out, and flipped the cover open, and she was certain her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull when she saw the signature across the first page. “Titania!?” she yelped, dropping the book and grabbing onto Warrod, excitedly shaking him and squealing. “Warrod, Warrod, this stuff is from Titania and her court! Oh my gods!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod didn’t even bother trying to escape her grasp. “I thought Titania was some dusty old legend.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well—” Mavis began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I know, all legends are based on something that was at least halfway true.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Quickly but gently, Mavis tucked everything back into the chest. “We need to get this back to the guildhall so I can study it. Find Rita, she can get it back the quickest and easiest. Yuri can go with her, I want to be sure it gets back safe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you were the one who said we needed to make sure we’re not just taking this from anyone,” Warrod said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis whined and threw her head back, but she knew he was right. “Fine, but we—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By all means, please take it,” a soft voice said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod and Mavis jumped, before whipping around to come face to face with a woman with deep blue hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this yours?” Mavis demanded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman shook her head. “No, I’ve merely been guarding it, before it was supposed to go on to its next owner. That must be you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell are you talking about?” Warrod asked, his eyes narrowing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who are you?” Mavis asked. She didn’t sense any malice from the woman, but she did have a very strong magical presence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My name is Lamora Fernandes, and given you have already realized who the items in that chest originally belonged to, you know what that means, don’t you?” she asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fernandes.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mavis slowly mouthed the name, and it all fell into place. “You were Titania’s Knight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman scoffed. “Not me, personally, but yes, I am descended from him. My family has been accumulating Titania’s diaries and the belongings of her court for generations now. It was fifty years ago that we found the last of her writings, hidden away in ancient dragon territory.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So why would you give all this stuff to me?” Mavis didn’t understand. These items were </span>
  <em>
    <span>priceless,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and if the Fernandes family line was still loyal to Titania and protecting her legacy a millennium later, she couldn’t wrap her head around why Lamora would just </span>
  <em>
    <span>give away</span>
  </em>
  <span> these items. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like I said, we were only meant to protect it, until they were ready to be passed on,” she said. “So please, take it. I don’t want them, I never have, and I don’t want my children and grandchildren to be involved in this anymore. Besides, it very obviously is meant to be you that they were meant to go to. You’re the only person I’ve met outside my family that truly even remembers these stories.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod glanced between Mavis and Lamora, only growing more and more confused, though he seemed to think better about actually commenting on anything. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, if that’s really what you want, I’ll take it,” Mavis said. She didn’t know why she’d tried to argue in the first place, considering how badly she wanted to take all the items anyways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Lamora bowed her head. “And good luck, Mavis Vermillion.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you know my name?” Mavis demanded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lamora gave her a grim smile, before vanishing, nothing but dust and debris swirling where she’d been standing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell have you just gotten involved in this time?” Warrod asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head and turned back to the chest. “I have no idea.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Contradictions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mavis meets Zeref once again</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“What do you think, Zera?” Mavis asked, shuffling through her notes and tapping her pen against the desk. “Do you think this Aguria family line could be connected to the key and actual Agurias, or is it a coincidence?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri stopped at the bottom of the staircase, a tired sigh escaping him. As the years passed, Mavis was only growing worse. After her connection to Zera had been severed, she’d rarely talked about the other girl, only on extremely rare occasions, like anniversaries or birthdays or something. But recently… she had started talking to Zera like she was present again. Yuri knew she wasn’t, because not only was that impossible, but Warrod had questioned her about it, and Mavis had said it was just like thinking out loud, and it was easier if she pretended she were talking to someone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that didn’t make him feel any better about it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her obsessive research and studies weren’t helping either. Of course, she’d always been interested in old myths and stories, but ever since she’d been given that box of artifacts during the Trade Wars last year, she’d been progressively getting worse and worse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we should try and get into contact with them,” she continued. “Maybe they’ll know more about this key. Then I could finally focus on the Yestas, since that will be harder, considering I’ve traced them back to the Desert Country.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis,” Yuri said, stepping off the bottom stair and approaching her. “Have you eaten anything today?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugged, merely peering harder at her notes. “Hey, do you think Precht could take care of guildmaster duties for a couple weeks while I—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis…” He took a deep breath. “At this point, why don’t you just make him the official guildmaster?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis whipped around. “What? Why? It’s just a few weeks so I can go out east to talk to the Agurias!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you just got </span>
  <em>
    <span>back</span>
  </em>
  <span> from a few weeks trip to go check out some library, and a few weeks before then to go talk to someone in Hargeon about a goddess, and—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s important!” she insisted, jumping up from her chair. “I know it is! It—It—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri dragged his hand through his hair. “Mavis, I know this stuff is important to you, I really, really do. But honestly… If this is what you want to devote most of your time and energy to, you should just name someone else guildmaster. We have summons from the Council dating back four months, and if you continue to ignore them for much longer, they’re going to come beating down our doors!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll get around to it soon!” she insisted. “Just as soon as I finish this!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri grit his teeth. The last thing he wanted was to start fighting with Mavis. But this </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> something that needed to be dealt with. If she truly wanted her main focus to be documenting more myths, and learning the ins and outs of the old gods and religions, that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But she needed to give up this charade of being guildmaster if Fairy Tail was going to continue to function. “Mavis, please. It’s not just the guild, it’s to help with you being stretched so thin. Precht said he was fine taking on the role! And I think it’s a good idea, especially because I’m not going to be able to help out as much after the baby is born.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, will you at least think about it?” he pressed. “At least do that for now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis pushed herself away from her desk and stalked towards the stairs. “Fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, where are you going?” he asked. “I was gonna—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For a walk,” she said. “To think.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri grimaced, but didn’t try to stop her. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Mavis groaned and kicked at a tree branch. What did Yuri know anyways? Why the hell couldn’t she run the guild </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> focus on studying the old gods and deciphering everything that was left behind from Titania’s court? Sure, she’d been focusing a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> less on the guild lately, but Precht and Warrod had taken on a lot of responsibility with it. Yuri even pitched in when he could, when he wasn’t busy with Rita, since their baby was due in just a few weeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though… maybe that was why he was so insistent that Mavis start taking care of more things herself again, or at least fully pass over the authority to someone else. He’d practically said as much, hadn’t he? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What should I do, Zera?” she mused, almost able to imagine some snappish remark, followed by an impish grin. “I know… I know I probably really should go ahead and pass on the mantle of guildmaster to Precht, but… They all agreed I should be guildmaster when we founded Fairy Tail, none of them wanted it, so I feel bad asking him to take it now. I know a lot has changed since then, but I just…” She shook her head. “It’s just a lot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She climbed over a hill, tramping along her favorite path through the forest outside Magnolia. She always felt calmer in the forest, as it reminded her of Tenrou. On rare occasion, she considered venturing back out to the island, at least for a while, but something always came up that prevented her from doing so. Which left this forest the closest she would ever get. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you still miss Tenrou sometimes?” she asked. “I mean, I know you must, you just wanted to go back the entire time we were gone…” A sad smile graced her lips. “Well, you just—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis jerked her head up, her eyes widening as she recognized a voice she hadn’t heard in over twelve years. What the hell was he doing back </span>
  <em>
    <span>here?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Zeref?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Black Wizard stood amongst the trees, every little detail of him the exact same as it had been all those years ago, as if he’d frozen, in that very spot, just waiting for Mavis to return. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Zeref!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her smile grew wider as she raced forward, completely ignoring his protests as she launched herself into his arms. “Oh, Zeref! I never imagined I would actually see you again!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah…” He stood stiff, every muscle in his body taught. He glanced down at her, his own eyes widening. “Mavis…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked up at him, her smile never faltering. “What have you been doing all this time?” She finally let go of his waist, stepping back a pace so they could better talk. “Would you like to come say hello to Warrod and Precht and Yuri? I’m sure they’d love to see you!” Maybe not necessarily because they’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked</span>
  </em>
  <span> Zeref all that much, but it wasn’t uncommon for them to muse on what they thought he was up to or what had become of him. They’d be thrilled to see him again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Zeref shook his head. “Mavis, you know I won’t—can’t go into town.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed. “Oh, Zeref… What if they came out here? Would that be okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, I… I could still hurt them, and I could hurt you </span>
  <em>
    <span>too.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You need to go,” he insisted, taking a step back. “I don’t want to harm you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, this again?” she asked. “I already told you, I can sense when your magic is building up. Besides, I missed you! I want to know what you’ve been up to!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I—” He cut himself off, his eyes narrowing as he glanced around. “Are you out here alone? Where’s Zera?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s expression fell. “Oh… Zera is… Zera wasn’t real. I know she wasn’t. You… don’t have to pretend anymore. She’s gone now.” Even twelve years later, it hurt to admit those words aloud, that her best friend, her first love, had been nothing more than a fabrication created from desperation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The corner of Zeref’s mouth tugged down into a frown. “When did that happen?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned away from him, staring at a leaf fluttering down from a tree branch. “Just after you left, actually, after we took Magnolia back from Blue Skull. I… performed this risky spell, and it hurt me. This doctor said I was maintaining some kind of spell and it was hurting me too. As soon as Yuri and Zera found that out, they… they both told me the truth, and then Zera vanished.” She took a shaky breath and clasped her hands together. “It… was for the best. I understand that now, but it still…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am… sorry, for your loss,” Zeref said, awkwardly resting his hand on her shoulder. “I know how much you cared for Zera, and how much she cared for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Mavis rested her hand on top of his. “But it’s been a long time now. I’ve… I’ve been without her longer than I was with her.” And </span>
  <em>
    <span>gods,</span>
  </em>
  <span> did that hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref raised an eyebrow. “Really? It can’t have been that long. You’ve hardly aged a day.” He took a lock of her hair between his fingers, as if he were examining it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-Well… I haven’t,” she admitted. “I don’t… exactly know why. We’ve had all kinds of healers look at me. We think it has something to do with this spell I did to save Yuri back then.” She shrugged. “But I don’t mind too much. I just wish more people would take me seriously…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref’s expression fell, something close to pity in his eyes. “I’d hoped I was wrong about you…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis tilted her head. “Wrong…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref turned away from her, and settled down on the ground, crossing his legs and leaning against a tree trunk. “Unlike your other friends, I was able to see and communicate with Zera, to a certain degree.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You—You </span>
  <em>
    <span>were?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she demanded, rushing to plop down next to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmhm.” He turned his gaze upwards, watching as the leaves around them began to die, but much to Mavis’s astonishment, he didn’t beg her to get away, nor did she even feel a threat from the dark magic that began to swirl around them. “She avoided me like the plague, and I never got the chance to speak to her until after the attack on Magnolia began.” His fingers curled into his cloak, tears budding into his eyes. “I truly don’t think it’s fair. It’s not fair what happened to me, but at least… at least I knew what I was doing… you were just…” He shook his head. “You didn’t have the slightest idea, but since when have the gods cared about any of us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s eyes narrowed. Of course, she knew Zeref had to hate the gods for what had been done to him, but… it was strange to hear him hate them on </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> behalf. “Zeref… what are you talking about?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think Zera was a pure illusion, created specifically by you,” he said. “I think you simply used your magic to fabricate her a </span>
  <em>
    <span>body, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but her soul… that was really and truly the Zera that died on Tenrou.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” Mavis gnawed at her lip. She could admit, she had wondered many times if any of Zera had been a person completely separate from herself, but of course, she had no way to figure that out, especially now that she was gone. “You really think so?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I do. I… meddled with the reality of life and death, blurred the distinction between them for myself in the past, which is why I believe I was able to catch glimpses of your friend and sense her presence,” he said. “She was very much a </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> person, whose soul had been attached to the illusion body you created for her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…” Mavis pulled her knees up to her chest, desperately trying to wrap her head around what that even </span>
  <em>
    <span>meant.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Did that mean she had essentially brought Zera back to life? Or trapped her as a ghost before forcing her to die for a second time? “I…” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “I… that’s a lot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref shook his head. “I tried for so long to bring a soul back, and you managed it accidentally. You really are something else, Mavis, but… I had hoped I was wrong about you, but unfortunately, it seems I wasn’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” she questioned, leaning closer. “You… Because I made Zera’s soul a body?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t just make her a body, Mavis. Making a body… Well, that isn’t what goes against the laws of the universe. Trust me…” He grimaced. “If anyone would know, it would be me. It’s creating a soul, or drawing a soul back from… wherever they go after they’ve passed on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> is what breaks the laws of the world around us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still don’t understand,” she said, though a feeling like cold water dripping from her bones came over her. “Zeref, I don’t—What are you trying to say?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I tried, and begged, and studied, and did everything I </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly </span>
  </em>
  <span>could to bring him back, to make him perfect, and the gods, the universe, whoever and whatever they were, told me no.” He held his hand to his chest, clutching at the locket he wore. “People wonder what terrible thing I did to end up like this, but all I did was love someone too much. Too much to let them go. And that was unforgivable.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zeref…” Mavis’s voice shook. “What… What are you <em>talking</em> about?” She wasn’t stupid. As much as she didn’t want to consider it, her mind was already piecing together his hints, his insinuations. His insinuations that she had done the very same thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were so young… I don’t understand how you managed it…” His lips curled into a smile, but only for a fraction of a second, before deep sadness flooded over his features once more. “But you somehow brought Zera’s soul back, and the universe decided to punish you for it. Think about it Mavis, have you actually grown or aged at all ever since that day? The day you rescued Zera from the burning?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I—” Mavis jerked her head away, trying to calm her turbulent thoughts. “N-No, I haven’t. But I didn’t bring Zera </span>
  <em>
    <span>back</span>
  </em>
  <span> to life! I didn’t do any of that! And I’m not—You’re trying to tell me I’m the same as you, but that’s just not true!” She scrambled back to her feet, blinking back tears. She’d been so excited to see Zeref again, but now he… he was… “No one around me just </span>
  <em>
    <span>dies! </span>
  </em>
  <span>It’s been nearly two decades since then, and I’ve never so much as killed a flower! Let alone—Let alone whole nations, like </span>
  <em>
    <span>you!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref sighed and leaned his head back, a tiredness Mavis had never seen before weighing him down, heavier than anything any mortal person could have ever experienced. “Mavis, do you know how my curse works? Things only die… if I care about the life around me, if I understand it on a fundamental level.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re saying I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t!?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she demanded, holding her fists up, anger beginning to cloud her thoughts. Zeref really thought she didn’t value </span>
  <em>
    <span>life?</span>
  </em>
  <span> After she’d fought to rescue the people of Magnolia from Blue Skull, and lost Zera doing so? After she’d struggled tooth and nail to prevent unnecessary casualties during the Trade Wars? What </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> did he have to say such things? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think you do,” he said simply. “The moment I was struck with my curse, I knew. Things immediately began to die around me. But I had been studying life and death for years, I’d been constructing bodies in preparation for fully reviving my little brother. But you… you watched everyone you knew die as a young child, and after that, immediately jumped into conflicts and wars. Truly, Mavis, I don’t think you understand the way life actually works. Oh, you may understand </span>
  <em>
    <span>death,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but you don’t understand </span>
  <em>
    <span>life.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> you—!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I heard your name whispered during the Trade Wars,” he said. “Be honest, how many lives, how many soldiers, did you sacrifice? Did you give up on or throw away for the </span>
  <em>
    <span>greater good?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She grit her teeth, desperately fighting back the tears threatening to pour down her cheeks. “Do you know how </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard</span>
  </em>
  <span> those kinds of decisions were for me? Shut up! Just shut up! If anything, that would make me understand </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span> than someone like you!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No… I don’t think so," he said, his voice as irritatingly soft as ever, that cool pity never leaving his gaze. “Humans, everything around you, they're merely pawns. Pawns to play with and move to your whims, all for the sake of… well I don’t know. I don’t know you well enough to act like I can understand what you might truly want. But your cool calculation means nothing when it comes to understanding </span>
  <em>
    <span>this.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop…” she whispered, the anger fading away, replaced only with shame and a bolt of terror. Because what if he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>right? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zeref had been around a very long time, and if he thought Mavis had received the same terrible curse as him, then… “I…” The words died in her throat, and she turned on her heel, fleeing, running, as fast as she possibly could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Running from the man who seemed to know her better than she knew herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s wrong,” she panted, unable to bring herself to look over her shoulder, to see if Zeref even attempted to follow her, though she doubted he had. “Of course he’s wrong, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>has</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be wrong.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s wrong, Zera. Because you were never real… </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Honestly, the whole bit with the Law spell going wrong never made any sense to me. Like... I don't get how Mavis made a judgement on "who lived and who died" by using it in that situation, even if she wasn't ready for that particular spell. But even if she had, I never interpreted the Curse of Ankhseram as functioning that way anyways. Because if it was for people who made a decision about "who lived and died" technically... couldn't that apply to just like... murder in general? Idk, but for me, that curse was reserved for those who literally *broke* the laws of the universe, so yeah</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Value of Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yuri and Rita's son is born, resulting in disastrous consequences</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry this chapter is so short, originally it was supposed to be a part of the last one, but I did some last minute reworking of my outlining, and it ended up it's own chapter, but I hope you enjoy it all the same</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Precht sat down on the stool next to her, eyeing the mug of beer she had her hands wrapped around. “You know,” he began. “If anyone walked in here without context, they’d kill us for letting you drink.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis knew it was meant to be a joke. Of course it was. They all joked about her tiny size all the time, and she joined in more often than not. But right now… mere days after what Zeref had tried to convince her of, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>was not</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the mood. In fact, the words only terrified her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She clutched the mug of beer tighter, her shoulders tensing up, and Precht seemed to realize his mistake. “Mavis?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m naming you guildmaster,” she whispered. “We’ll do the paperwork sometime within the next few days.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Precht demanded, leaning over. “Why? Is something wrong? I mean, if that’s what you want, sure, I’d be happy to, but—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head. “Yuri mentioned it a few days ago, and I thought about it. And I think it’s a good idea. I mean, when am I ever even doing guildmaster duties anymore anyways? It’s just making it official for you, and clearing you to deal with all the Council summonings I’ve been ignoring…” She didn’t dare to mention meeting Zeref again, or the possibility that she might share his curse. Part of her didn’t believe it at all, thought that Zeref was just overreacting, and misinterpreting everything that had happened to her, but… She couldn’t shake this horrible feeling in her chest, this gut instinct that every word out of the Black Wizard’s mouth had been true. And if it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> true, she was a ticking time bomb. The second she truly understood </span>
  <em>
    <span>life,</span>
  </em>
  <span> (though she was still confused as to how she might not) she was going to kill everyone and everything around her. She needed to get far, far away before that happened, though she couldn’t in conscience just abandon Fairy Tail without preparing them at least a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> to continue on without her. And the first step towards that was officially naming Precht as the guildmaster. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well… if you’re sure that’s what you want, then I’ll accept,” Precht said. “And I’m honored you want me to take over for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis did her best to smile at him, though she knew it didn’t reach her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright, Mavis?” he asked. “You’ve been… you haven’t been acting like yourself the past few days.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m fine, Precht…” She tapped her fingers against the counter. “Just tired.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yuri says you’ve been talking to Zera again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her shoulders hunched. “You know I’m not. Not actually. It’s just… it’s nice. I miss her, and sometimes I just… need to tell her things.” And if Zera really had been real, did that mean she could still hear Mavis talking to her? Or had her soul really and truly left this plane without her illusion body to tie her to it? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She almost regretted leaving Zeref so soon. Perhaps he could have answered all her questions about Zera, since he seemed to be the only one who knew anything about the subject at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She also wondered if he might know anything about the members of Titania’s court… He was older than anyone in the world, surely he knew all kinds of forgotten information. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then she felt bad for focusing on her myths rather than anything going on around her. That was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>last</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing that needed her focus by now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know that,” Precht said. “But just… we’re worried.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You always worry about me.” She knew, that at times, Warrod, Precht, and Yuri still couldn’t help but think of her as that little girl on Tenrou Island, despite how much she had grown and changed over the years. “But you don’t need to.” She needed to worry about </span>
  <em>
    <span>them.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Worry over how her curse would affect them if she didn’t get out of here in time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just because we don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to, doesn’t mean we won’t,” he said. “We’d move the heavens and Earth for you if we needed to, Mavis.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes well… I’d prefer you not,” she said with a dark chuckle. Apparently, pushing back against the will of the world was a very dangerous game indeed. “But really, just forget about me. You’ve all got your own lives to live. Yuri and Rita’s baby should be here any day now, and Warrod’s been being scouted by the Council, and now you’re the Fairy Tail guildmaster. It’s time to quit spending so much of your time fretting over me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head, and hopped out of her seat. “Oh come on, Precht. Just let it go.” She tried smiling again, and did her damndest to make it appear genuine. “I’m going to go get the jump on that paperwork for you, okay?” She disappeared into her office, tuning out his halfhearted protest. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Four days later, Yuri’s son was born. At his and Rita’s insistence, they were all there, despite it probably needing to be a more private affair. Mavis had never wanted children of her own, not once, and seeing what Rita had to go through… had really only solidified that for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But… despite that, she couldn’t deny that she’d never seen a happier smile on the woman’s face than when she held her son for the first time. Yuri laid in the bed next to her, an arm wrapped around her shoulders, awe shining in his eyes as he beheld his son. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis really couldn’t deny that it was a precious sight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, have you thought of a name yet?” Warrod asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rita chuckled, and readjusted the blankets wrapped around the baby. “Well, I’m certainly not letting any of </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> name him. And yes, that does include Yuri.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri snorted and rolled his eyes. “Please, I came up with some great names. I still think we should name him after me!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rita lightly slapped his shoulder, though her smile was fond. “No, he needs his own name! Especially if he’s going to be a strong Fairy Tail wizard! We don’t want him following in your footsteps for his entire life.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could give you some fine names,” Precht said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rita shook her head, and gestured for Mavis to come closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though hesitant, Mavis creeped towards the bed, leaning closer so she could better see the baby through all the blankets he’d been wrapped in. He was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>little,</span>
  </em>
  <span> so tiny, already sleeping soundly, nestled against his mother’s chest. She couldn’t believe he’d really come from Rita and Yuri. It was… amazing, absolutely phenomenal that Rita had done that, had grown a little life inside her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you to name him, Mavis,” Rita said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-Me?” she stammered, her eyes widening as she tore her gaze away from the bay and to Rita. “But why me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I’m sure you could come up with some lovely names,” she said. “Maybe something from your stories or myths.” She reached her hand out, softly taking Mavis’s fingers in her own, giving them a light squeeze. “Besides, he’s going to be raised by the whole guild. Wouldn’t it be poetic if the guildmaster gave him his name?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head. “But Precht is basically the guildmaster now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rita chuckled. “Mavis, I want it to be you. You’re the one who invited me to the guild, you’re the one who’s built it from the ground up, and I don’t trust my husband's or my own naming abilities.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… well… if you really want me to,” she said, turning her attention back to the baby in question, wanting to be sure she gave him a name that suited him. She ran through a list of names, honoring Rita’s wishes of naming him after a story, or a myth. She wasn’t sure how long she stared at the baby, trying to come up with the perfect name, when finally… she settled on one. “Makarov,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “I always loved the fable about Makarov, my mother told it to me almost every night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s it about?” Rita asked, her eyelids drooping downwards, though Mavis assumed it was merely exhaustion due to everything she’d been through today. “The fable…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis smiled fondly. “Well, it was a bit of a complicated story, and honestly Makarov wasn’t a big character in it, he was just… he was a very kind king, who always wanted what was best for his subjects. What do you think?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like it…” Rita breathed, her eyes slipping shut and her hand falling away from Mavis’s. “Makarov…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Rita.” Yuri nudged her, his smile fading, replaced with a concerned frown. “Rita? Are you alright?” Gently, he took Makarov from her. “You’re probably tired, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pure and utter dread took Mavis over, running through her body, coating her bones and smothering out her breaths. Every muscle in her went taught, as she instinctively stepped back from the bed, horror blooming in her chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No…</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rita had been fine. She’d been perfectly okay! Tired, from labor, but of course that was to be expected, there was no reason for her to suddenly… for her to… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Rita!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yuri cried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head, her hair falling to cover her face, unable to focus on the scene unfolding around her. Yuri clinging to Rita’s body, Warrod trying to grab him and get him calmed down while Precht called for the doctor and any healer that might be nearby. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one noticed Mavis screaming over the other commotion, Yuri’s panicked shouts, Makarov’s cries as he was roused from his slumber, Warrod trying to keep everything under control. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She dragged her hands down her face, her fingernails splitting her skin open, leaving her blood to drip and splatter onto her dress, onto the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I have to get out of here. I have to—to—</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She fled, running as fast as her feet could take her, caring nothing for the splinters that dug into her bare feet as she skidded across the guildhall, scrambling for the doors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had to get to the woods, to the forest, as far away from her guild and Magnolia as she could possibly get before the curse truly took effect, or else Rita wasn’t going to be the only casualty. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More tears poured down her face, mixing with the blood and making the cuts burn. She hadn't cried so much since she'd lost Zera.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And she ran. Ran for the lives of everyone she cared about. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leaving them all behind. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Even in Death</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A year after her curse has taken affect, Zeref finds Mavis once again</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>god idk if yall noticed but i fucking love zeref and writing for him but this chapter and the upcoming ones will probably make it even more obvious</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mavis stared down at her reflection, refusing to still recognize it as herself. Because that </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> be her. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> look like that. She should be a full grown woman. No, no, she should be </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She should be nothing but a withered corpse, because she didn’t even know how many times she’d tried to kill herself by this point. She was on her eighth month of no food or water, and she had no idea how many nights she’d passed by slitting her wrists over and over, watching the blood drip away without a single consequence as her skin merely knit itself back together again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d always healed quickly, even if it had never been at this speed before. Perhaps the curse needed her to fully understand life to affect her fully, not just kill everything around her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She slammed her hand down into the shallow water, disturbing the serene surface and causing mud to billow up, marring her reflection. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hated it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She hated it.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Because she shouldn’t look like that. She just </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouldn’t! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why did she have to look like that? Have the timeless face of an eleven year old, framed by the fluffy hair that was still perfectly soft from youth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t cry. She had no tears left. She was sure she’d spent a month straight crying after she’d left the guild. So she pulled her knees to her chest, and turned her attention back to the water, picking out every slight discoloration in the mud and counting them, simply needing something to keep her mind occupied. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zera, I think I hate the color brown now.” She felt like all she ever saw was the color brown. “I’m sorry. I used to really love it, especially the brown of your hair and brown of your eyes, but… now I just can’t stand it.” She swore that even the sky turned dull and gray wherever she was at, determined to match the death that swirled around her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Locking her fingers together, she curled up even tighter, making her already tiny body as small as she possibly could. “I’m so sorry… I swear I’ve tried every way I could think of to end up with you again… but it’s just not working. I’m so… so sorry.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Zeref was not surprised at all to find Mavis wandering around this dead forest. As soon as rumors of a whole section of woods decaying and dying had reached him, followed by even more rumors that anyone who so much as ventured into the woods never came back out again… he knew. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew that Mavis’s curse had caught up with her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had no idea if it finally had because he had pointed it out to her, or if some other event had finally triggered it to fully activate it, but this dead forest was very obviously a result of the Curse of Ankseram. Nothing else killed </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite</span>
  </em>
  <span> as thoroughly as it did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis, dear.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you came, huh?” Mavis asked, not even bothering to turn and look at him. “I thought you would eventually.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unsure of what else to do, Zeref stepped forward and sat down next to her, gazing out across this little lake she’d found, his eyes shifting across the various dead fish that had floated to the surface. Honestly, he couldn’t quite connect with the despair he’d felt when he’d first been struck with his curse. He knew it existed, knew he had felt awful, but it had been so long since he’d felt an emotion that strongly, that he wasn’t quite sure what to say to Mavis, who was suffering in the same way he had. In fact, she probably only felt worse, as she had people she’d had to leave behind, who had actually cared about her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone he had cared about had already been long dead. He’d just had the remorse of accidentally killing all the strangers around him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid that time is… a bit of a difficult concept for me,” he admitted. “How long has it been?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just over a year,” she murmured, still refusing to turn her head to look at him. “Since the last time I saw you. Since…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah.” Most often, Zeref used Alvarez as a way to keep track of the passage of time, but he’d been away from his empire for a while now, curious to see how it might change without his constant presence. It wasn’t much of an experiment if he didn’t allow his creation to change and grow on its own, now was it? “So it’s been a year since your curse has taken full affect.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do feel the need to apologize, though I’m not entirely sure what for,” he said. “I suppose I’m sorry that this happened to you, rather than anything else. I couldn’t have stopped this, and if I’d told you my suspicions sooner, you would have only missed out on your years of a normal life.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s fingers curled tighter against her legs, her fingernails biting into the bare skin. “Why did you come to find me again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you said you were expecting me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was.” Her nails cut even deeper, shining red blood trickling down her pale skin. “But I’ve never fully understood why you’ve done anything you have, Zeref. Forgive me, but I am curious by nature, even now, after all of this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref chuckled, glad at least some of Mavis’s personality had remained, not yet torn to shreds by contradiction after contradiction. “You may be curious, but so am I. You fascinated me, even before I knew for sure you shared my curse, and it has been a very long time since I’ve been </span>
  <em>
    <span>truly</span>
  </em>
  <span> interested in something.” Not even Alvarez held his attention anymore, yet another reason he’d disappeared from the country for a while. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I believe we’re similar, Mavis, beyond the mistakes we made that landed us in this situation,” he explained. “We have… a lot in common.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, she turned to look at him, and oh, how Zeref recognized that dull look in her eyes, that desperation for any kind of relief, no matter the form it might take. “We do? Aside from murdering any and everything around us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t kill you, and you can’t kill me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis flinched. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah. You were hoping that perhaps I could end your life,” he realized. “Well, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. Not even I am capable of something like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t you supposed to be the Black Wizard of Death?” she asked bitterly, her eyes narrowing and her nose scrunching up in irritation, probably thinking he was mocking her for daring to think such a thing. “And you can’t even kill one useless girl?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never asked for that magic,” he said. “And believe it or not, death magic is one type I never actually learned. People mistook this curse for things they thought they understood. In fact… the magic I specialized in… was the complete opposite of death. And I’m afraid not even my curse could kill you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There has to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> way,” she said, desperation creeping into her voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid there’s not,” he informed her. “I’ve tried any way you could possibly think of.” He knew, he’d made a list in the first hundred years, writing down every way he’d ever tried, and how many times, as well as how long the methods had incapacitated him. “Burning was the first way I tried, within hours of being struck with the curse. I knew what it was capable of, but I thought, if perhaps, I could perfectly destroy my body, I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to die. That, and I thought it was fitting for me to burn to death, just like the rest of my family had. But even after I’d incinerated myself, my body just pieced itself back together, and I felt every excruciating second of it. But I refused to give up. I slit my wrists, I stabbed myself in the chest, I had myself shot through with arrows, begged any wizards I came across to try their magic on me, I even convinced someone to try beheading me once. I chained myself up and lied at the bottom of the sea for two weeks, drowning over and over before I finally gave up and broke the chains with magic. I’ve tried every poison I’ve come across, injected myself with concentrated illnesses, I’ve—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Stop.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref cut himself off, letting more examples die on his tongue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop. I don’t—I can’t—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just thought I’d spare you the pain,” he said. “Before you tried any of the more extreme methods yourself, as I’m sure you’ve tried at least a couple already.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis ripped her fingernails out of her thighs, and the small cuts closed up immediately, the blood vanishing. “Are you really trying to tell me there’s nothing we can do? That we’ll be this way until the end of time and not even the gods are left?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still have hope in one more method,” he admitted. “Perhaps I’ll let you be the practice for him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Mavis asked, a very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> dangerous hope wavering in her voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref sighed, and leaned back, resting his weight on the palms of his hands. “I received my curse because I refused to let my little brother go, because I refused to move on without him. When he died, I dragged his corpse to the nearest organization of wizards I could find, begging them to preserve it in any way they could. As I got older, as I learned, I reconstructed his body, healed the burns, repaired the damage that the smoke and the flames had done to his body, but I still could do nothing for his missing soul, and though every part of his body could work perfectly, there was no spark, no way to keep that body going, not that I would have wanted to simply have his body be alive, without Natsu to actually occupy it again. It wasn’t until I began my efforts to bring his soul back that the gods and the universe decided I had gone too far.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You… you said making a body wasn’t wrong, but it was… that’s what you meant, wasn’t it?” Mavis asked. “It was trying to bring your brother’s soul back that caused you to end up like this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is,” he confirmed. “I’d finally figured it out, while I was studying at an organization meant for discovering new types of magic, and that was when my curse struck. It killed everyone there.” A dark chuckle escaped him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that set back magical progress by at least a century. I inadvertently murdered so many brilliant wizards. But… the universe made a mistake. Because they couldn’t have done anything worse than me to that, so after I recovered from my guilt and first few suicide attempts I tried out of sheer desperation, I got right back to work when it came to resurrecting my brother.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I wanted him to be perfect,” he said. “Natsu couldn’t be anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>but</span>
  </em>
  <span> perfect. So I practiced, and practiced, and practiced. I created completely new souls, I brought back random souls, modifying them, and placed them all in bodies I had created. Each one was better and better than the last, and eventually, I decided I was ready to bring Natsu back. It took nearly a century of creating my other demons to be ready.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Demons?” Mavis squeaked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” A cold smile spread across Zeref’s face. “Were you unaware that I was the father of demons? That I am the reason such creatures crawl this world? </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> created them, and I created them for the sole purpose of destroying me,” he said. “There is not a single demon that does not wish to kill me, though I know nearly all of them would be incapable of such a thing. After all, they were all practice and failures.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But… But if you…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As those hundred years passed, things changed for me, and I changed my little brother,” he explained. “I was going to bring him back, there was no doubt about that, but I changed his body, changed his mind, though I was careful to keep his personality as close as I possibly could to how it was the first time he’d lived. I poured all my grief, my hatred, my anger, into him. I wanted him to one day become rage and fire incarnate, a burning retribution for the world, for what it had done to me, for what it had done to </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And… eventually… one day, he would be strong enough to end me himself, it was so fitting… the end… of both us… perfectly intertwined, so I renamed him E.N.D., Etherious Natsu Dragneel, isn’t that lovely, Mavis?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I don’t understand,” she stammered, her eyes wide, horror and curiosity battling for dominance in her expression. “You brought your brother back as a demon? So he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span> you? That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>sick,</span>
  </em>
  <span> that’s twisted! Do you think he would have wanted that? Not only to know he was responsible for you falling under this curse in the first place, but to know that you expected him to kill you! And then he was supposed to just go on living after that!?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref threw his head back, laughter echoing through the dead forest. “Oh, you misunderstand, Mavis. He will die with me. All my creations will. They are linked to, </span>
  <em>
    <span>made,</span>
  </em>
  <span> of my magic, so when I’m gone, they will wither away and die as well. It is the one flaw of bringing someone back to life, they will die with you all over again. And as far as him wanting to kill me… I ingrained it in him. I ingrained it in all of them, an instinct, etched into them so deeply that they would never question it, never want to do anything else.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she hissed. “I don’t care how much you want to die, that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, it is,” he agreed. “I don’t pretend to deny what I am, or that the things I have done aren't demented and twisted. But I am not completely heartless. I locked away my little brother’s demon side, leaving him to look and believe that he is completely human, and I will let him live as such for as long as possible. Because I do still want him to be happy, I still want him to have the life he deserves, only this time, I will control when we both die, not the whims of the universe. All I have to do is open his book, and it will trigger everything.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So he’s still waiting on you? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Three hundred</span>
  </em>
  <span> years later!?” she shouted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref shook his head. “No, I am waiting on him. I’ll not explain where he’s at right now, it’s not important, all you need to know is that I’m still waiting, and like I said, perhaps I will have Natsu kill you first, if you would like.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis grit her teeth. “I don’t want the brother you treated like a plaything to be forced into doing another awful thing. He’s been through </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was just trying to be kind to you,” he said. “To offer you a way out.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> it if that’s the way it has to be accomplished!” she snapped. “I can’t believe you </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> that! I can’t believe I never believed the stories about how awful you were! I understand why so many dark wizards worship you now. And you belong with all of them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref shrugged. He’d heard far worse than that. He’d been cursed more than anyone else in the world, and nothing Mavis said was actually going to hurt him, as much as she might want it to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> would have done something like that to Zera,” she hissed, turning away from him and focusing her angry gaze on the lake once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, well, you are a better person than me, Mavis,” he said. “Even at the start, before I was twisted by all this time and all these contradictions. But your disapproval of my actions changes nothing. Natsu will return to me one day, and he will still kill me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I swear, I will kill you myself one day, Zeref,” Mavis said, nothing but cool determination in his voice. “If only to spare your brother from a fate as awful as that. I promise you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref smiled. “If you ever find a way or manage such a thing, I swear I’ll bring you with me, Mavis, dear.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Magic's Chosen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Magic finally convinces Mavis</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Honestly, Mavis had no idea how it happened, why it happened. But after the day that Zeref found her by the lake, he just… never left. And Mavis never asked him to. She wasn’t foolish, even after being with him for a year, she would never believe he was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> person, or that he even cared about her beyond a morbid curiosity and desperate need for kinship with the one person who might understand him on a fundamental level. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All this time had broken him. That just became more and more apparent the longer Mavis spent with him. She didn’t doubt that he had once been a good person, motivated by a pure, devoted love to his family and learning magic, but time and this curse had twisted that love into something grotesque. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis had never believed that you could love someone, but do bad things to them. Even if someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought</span>
  </em>
  <span> they loved you, if they didn’t treat you well, that negated the supposed love. But Zeref had changed her mind. Only a fool would deny his love for his little brother, for </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mavis herself,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but only the same fool would deny that they wouldn’t be better off without him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref deserved every unsavory story and myth about him, that was for damn sure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I found some living flowers, Mavis,” Zeref said, a small smile on his face as he settled down next to her. “Would you like me to braid them into your hair?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis wondered how far he’d gone to find some flowers that weren’t dried and brown, due to both their curses, the forest around them was beyond dead, and it was a good thing they didn’t actually need to eat. But she couldn’t deny that she would love to be able to wear flowers in her hair again. “Yeah, sure, go ahead.” She shifted, maneuvering around so Zeref could more easily fix her hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to need to return to Alvarez sometime soon,” he said, his fingers deftly brushing through her fluffy mass of hair. “I’ve been gone long enough, and I’d like to see what has become of my little experiment.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you certain?” she asked. “Won’t you just… kill it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head. “Not if I view it as a game, each of my citizens as little pawns. And that’s all they are, really. It’s an experiment, a game, I don’t need to value them as life.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s cruel. You could do awful things to them, thinking that way.” How many people had she sacrificed during the Trade Wars because she had the same mindset? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But they will be alive,” he reminded her, his fingers far too delicate as he braided the little pink flowers into her hair. How had he created demons with those same hands? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I suppose.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Trust me, Mavis. It’s all for the best.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>A heavy sigh escaped her, as Mavis opened her eyes to Tenrou. “Again? Must you keep dragging me here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will until you are willing to listen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis squeezed her eyes shut. Despite this going on for over half a year now, she would never get used to it. “I’ve told you not to use her face, her voice. Just… just stop.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been told familiar faces and presences can make humans feel better.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I don’t know who told you that, because most of us don’t want our loved ones desecrated in such a way. Especially when they’re already </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She forced her eyes open, coming face to face with her mother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or well… not her mother. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> that decided it liked wearing her mother’s face. Though that wasn’t the only disguise in its arsenal. Zera was a popular one, and even Yuri was used on rare occasions. Rita had been used once, but Mavis had simply refused to talk when the entity had taken that particular route. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The entity sighed, and let the disguise melt away, revealing a gorgeous, almost ethereal woman, a true form that Mavis never understood why she tried to hide. Or well… perhaps it wasn’t a true form. After all, this was supposedly the force of magic itself. For all Mavis knew, a true form would be impossible for her to understand, and maybe this woman was just another face she borrowed from gods knew who. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know you can’t remain like this forever, Mavis,” she said. “You can’t live in these dead woods, acting as if you care for a man like Zeref.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> care for Zeref,” she argued. How could she not? He was… well, they were all the other had, the only person there was no fear of killing, of </span>
  <em>
    <span>murdering.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She spent every moment of her time with him, listening to him ramble, and then he would do the same. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course</span>
  </em>
  <span> she cared for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not in the way he cares about you,” she said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” Mavis bit her lip, turning her head away. “He doesn’t love me. He just thinks he does.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because he is a desperate, sad, lonely person, and you are the first person to show him true kindness since he lost his family all those centuries ago,” she said. “You are feeding into a delusion, that is only going to create more consequences down the road.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head. “He’ll realize it eventually. He just… You are right, he is lonely. Which is why I can’t just abandon him. Maybe if I continue to be kind to him, he’ll realize. He’ll let his Empire go, he’ll let his Etherious go, he’ll let his </span>
  <em>
    <span>brother</span>
  </em>
  <span> go.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t save him, Mavis, and I think… deep down… you know that. Zeref does not change, Zeref will not change. Once he let the gods win, once he allowed himself to become so desperate and bitter, he was damned. There is a reason he has not tried to do a single, genuinely good act in his long, long lifetime. Zeref Dragneel hates the world, and you, Mavis Vermillion, will not be the one to change that, try as you might.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what? Why are you telling me this?” she demanded. “You aren’t just going to make me give up on him. I can’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> what you want me to!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve read Titania’s writings, you know what is coming, what I’m asking of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> do it! You’ve been haunting my dreams for months now. Surely you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that!” she shouted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The entity sighed. “Life has been cruel to you. And I am sorry for that. Had I asked this of you when you were younger, I’m sure you would have been delighted.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis crossed her arms, unable to deny that. If the essence, </span>
  <em>
    <span>soul,</span>
  </em>
  <span> of magic itself had appeared to her, and asked Mavis to take the place of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Queen Titania,</span>
  </em>
  <span> to finish what she had started a millennium ago, and ensure that everything was in place for her prophecies… well, as a child, she would have been ecstatic, she wouldn’t have thought about it at all. But now… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It just felt cruel. Magic had chosen her, huh? Was that why everything had always gone so horribly for her? Was that why her mother had withered away and died for attempting the Law spell? Was that why Tenrou had been exterminated? Was that why she’d brought Zera back, only to lose her again? Was that why she’d suffered through the Trade Wars, and eventually killed Rita? All to prepare her for whatever the hell Magic wanted from her? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you have your Faeries to do this kind of stuff for you?” she asked. “They’re your knights, aren’t they?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Titania was the last true Faerie,” she said. “And I’m afraid not a single wizard has been born since her that is worthy of the power. Not even you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis scoffed. “And yet you want me to take her place as your messenger? Your harbinger of all the horrible things to come? You want me to manipulate more people into doing what you want, all… for what? You haven’t even told me that much.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Magic sighed, a deep sadness coming over her eyes. “There is much wrong with the world, much wrong with magic, it has been tainted, which is why it has declined in power, and why there are less wizards. It’s harder to grasp, many people no longer feel a deep connection with it, and it has allowed certain beings to darken it…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zeref.” His name left her lips before she could even think about it. “You’re talking about Zeref.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magic tipped her head back, the dying rays of the sun shimmering in her white hair. “Zeref has done irreversible damage to the magic of this world, both through his own actions, and the actions of others in his name. He created Etherious, who in turn created curses, which have thrown the balance of magic itself off. More and more types of dark magic have been invented by those who worship him. By this point… dark magic has begun to overtake light, throwing off a very delicate balance. Dark magic is necessary, do not misunderstand, but if it is allowed to continue this expansion unchecked… It will cause very real consequences. Wizards who practice dark magic will be consumed by it, light magic abilities will only grow weaker. But… it is not only Zeref who has contributed to this problem. Acnologia’s mass of power has created distortions in the fabric of magic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re asking me to destroy beings like Zeref and Acnologia?” Mavis demanded. “Are you mad? I don’t even have powerful magic, and even if it was, what is an illusion going to do?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not asking you to do something like that, not a single person alive is capable of such a thing,” she said. “I’m asking you to do as you're told, to continue to study your myths, just to make sure the world is ready for the reset of magic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do as I’m told?” Mavis demanded. “Leave Zeref?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magic nodded. “Leave Zeref, make sure the items of Titania’s court are where they need to be, prepare the necessary spells. You truly do have a brilliant mind, Mavis. You were meant for this, you are Tenrou’s, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>world’s,</span>
  </em>
  <span> last High Priestess, the final link to the old ways, and it’s time for it all to return.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The old ways?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magic waved her hand. “The gods are awakening, the old creatures are returning, and the world will need you and your influence to guide them. You’ve already created a place for it, continue to cultivate it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you… you’re talking about my guild,” she realized. “What does my guild have to do with it? That was meant to be a memory for Zera, a place for adventure, and for people to find a place to be loved, regardless of their pasts or where they’ve come from. I don’t want them to be involved in this at all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magic gave Mavis a hard look. “Titania’s prophecies have foretold those that are coming, and your guild would make a wonderful place for them, a wonderful place for them to grow, and connect with magic like a mage is supposed to. And you can more readily guide them to be ready.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis took a deep breath. “I can’t go back there. I would kill them all, even if I wanted to do what you told me. Fairy Tail doesn’t belong to me anymore.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you are so determined to spend time with Zeref, perhaps you could heed his advice,” she said. “View Fairy Tail as your pawns, a means to end, as he does with his Empire.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you hated Zeref.” And Mavis would rather die than end up as cold and cruel as he was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head. “I don’t hate anyone. I am merely trying to fix the damage he has done. But I can’t deny that it is a reasonable method.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis could admit, she missed Fairy Tail dearly. She missed the guildhall, she missed her friends, and she would give anything to make sure that Yuri was okay after the death of his wife. “Say I do this. Say I carry out your wishes, you’ll make sure my guild is okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Magic took a deep breath. “I can guarantee nothing. But when the right generation of members arrives, I will give them a guardian.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A guardian?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Faeries must make their return eventually,” she said. “So I will grant them a Faerie.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis supposed that was the best she could get, but then again, one of Magic’s knights was nothing to scoff at. “If… If I do this… would you let me die?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do not control the gods, nor their decisions,” Magic said. “But… the Curse of Ankhseram will have no place in a world of balanced magic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears build in Mavis’s eyes. “I could see Zera again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eventually… yes, I do believe you would be able to see Zera again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no more decision to make at that point. “I will do what you ask.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Abandoning Zeref was… horrible and wonderful all at the same time. She’d left him while he slept, leaned against their favorite dead tree, his face just as expressionless and serene as ever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis had expected to feel guilty for such a decision, leaving without a word. Zeref had already been through so much, had been beaten down by the universe itself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But ultimately… Mavis cared about Zera more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So she left, a miserable feeling over not feeling guilt flooding through her, before being smothered out in excitement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could see her guild again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And finally…. Eventually… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She would be with Zera again. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Magic whispered in her ear after that. A constant presence, filling in all the gaps that Titania’s writings had left. The journey back to the guild left her with a wealth of knowledge, answering any question she could possibly have about Titania and her court, about why so much of the world had moved on and forgotten the old ways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis found herself at Yuri’s home first, almost terrified by what she might find, but after two years away from her best friend… she simply couldn’t resist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri had fallen to his knees as soon as he opened the door and saw her, tears building in his wide eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Oh no!” Mavis began to step forward, wanting to pull him into a hug, to comfort him, but she forced herself to stop. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could not treat him as a friend, could not think of him as a friend. He was a pawn. Nothing but a pawn for her plans. Any other thought process was dangerous, and could lead to him joining his wife much too soon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We thought you </span>
  <em>
    <span>died!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he gasped. “You—You just vanished, and we thought—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head. “I am sorry I left without a word, but… it was for the best.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where have you </span>
  <em>
    <span>been?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he choked, grabbing onto the doorframe and hauling himself back to his feet. “Mavis, you—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I've been with Zeref,” she said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Zeref?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he demanded, something dark coming over his features. “If this had something to do with your studies—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For bringing Zera back to life, I was granted the same curse as him,” she explained, taking a small step back. “I didn’t want to hurt any of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same curse?” Yuri’s gasped as it all clicked. “Oh gods, Mavis, I’m so sorry. I… You…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head. “There is nothing to be done about it now. But… I do need your help, and I would like as few people as possible to know I’m back. It is better if they all continue to believe that I’m dead.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can’t we tell Precht and Warrod? They’ve been worried sick!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am going to need to tell Precht, but Warrod…” She sighed. “It’s not strictly necessary, so I…” It felt wrong, to keep him out of this, but the further away from this he was, the safer he would be. “I’m not staying long. Just long enough to get Titania’s things from the basement, and then I’m leaving again.” She had to get it all in place, get it all ready. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But—” he began to protest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shook her head. “I need to do this Yuri. Please, just trust me.” She just needed to be as quick as possible, for the sake of everyone and everything around her. “I just need to get my things, and perfect these spells to pass onto Precht.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What spells?” he asked. “Mavis, you’re not making any sense! I don’t care if you’re cursed, you can’t just turn up after two years like this and not offer any real explanations!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My spells, Fairy Tail’s spells, for us, just for us.” She held her hands to her chest. “To protect us, prepare us, I know so much now, it’s rattling around in my mind. I know what we need, what </span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> will need. Fairy Law, Fairy Sphere, Fairy Glitter. They’re almost perfected.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri lurched forward to grab her shoulders. “What are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>talking</span>
  </em>
  <span> about?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to reset the world, Yuri,” she said. “Salvage our magic, for Zera.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you gone </span>
  <em>
    <span>mad!?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he demanded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shrugged. Perhaps she had. But that didn’t change a single thing that she was about to do. “Please, please just trust me, Yuri. I’ll explain as much as I can, but please… do this for me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri took a deep breath. “I’ve never stopped trusting you, Mavis. But you have to give me something to work with here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gazed up at him. “I’m going to stop Zeref.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Broken Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mavis returns to Zeref</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The basement became Mavis’s domain, blocked off from the rest of the guild, with only Precht and Yuri allowed to venture down there to meet with her. Upon her request, the guild was not informed of her presence, not even Warrod, who was apparently very upset that Precht and Yuri were hiding things from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis hated it, but knew it was for the best, though she did feel guilty for placing a strain like this on the three’s friendship, which had always been so strong. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She never left the basement, not since she had snuck down there the night she’d reunited with Yuri nearly four months ago. Precht brought her food and water multiple times a day, but most often she ignored it, having gotten used to going without it, not to mention, she needed to spend every waking moment working, perfecting her spells. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fairy Law, an adaptation of her mother’s spell, the spell that had saved Yuri and Magnolia. It could be just as damaging to the user, but was a necessary weapon for Fairy Tail’s future, she was sure of it. Her mother may not have been able to use it to protect Tenrou, but Mavis was sure it could be used to protect her guild. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fairy Sphere, a perfect defense for whenever her guild would need it. Impenetrable, so long as it was powered by intense feelings of love and protection, though if her wishes were honored and Fairy Tail continued to operate as it did now, that would always remain true for her guild. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And finally, Fairy Glitter…. Unlike the other two spells, that could be learned and used by anyone within the guild with their mark, this one was even more special, ready to be bestowed on a singular person, who proved themselves worthy of even a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fraction</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the entity of magic’s true power, preparing their body to become a perfect magical vessel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she wasn’t working on her spells, she was busy decoding more of Titania’s writings, getting everything she possibly could on Faeries written down. Her guild would need it in the future. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While she planned on leaving most of her writings on her new spells with Precht, so that they could be passed down through the guild, she intended to take her personal writings elsewhere, keep them hidden until it was the right time. Despite her agreement with Magic to prepare her guild for this, she thought it less cruel not to… make it obvious or tell them that something so large would be expected of them in the future. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not to mention, she had to make sure the items from Titania’s court got to where they needed to be, ended up with the mages who needed them. While Mavis herself did not have the gift of prophecy, thanks to Titania’s writings, she was certain she’d figured out most of it, and just needed to get them in the right locations. She need to get Ophiucus’s key back to the Aguria family line, the hilt of the Grudge Sword to a certain village, though the Yesta seal and Fleuve D'étoiles would be remaining with the guild for now, and the record of Lost Magic that had been found with them would be going to Precht. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri shuffled down the stairs, Makarov balanced on his hip. “Morning, Mavis. Still planning on being a recluse today?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She frowned, not in the mood to bicker. “Yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Warrod really would love to know you were okay,” he began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis took a deep breath. “Yuri, you know why I can’t tell him. Really, I shouldn't have told </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I should have done the smart thing, and discussed this with Precht, and Precht alone."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis!” Makarov exclaimed, reaching out for her with pudgy toddler hands, as if he wanted her to hold him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, that is Mavis,” Yuri said, readjusting him. “Your Auntie Mavis.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned her head away, fighting through the guilt threatening to overtake her. Yuri still had no idea it was her curse that had taken Rita away from him and Makarov. She didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>deserve</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be called Makarov’s “Auntie.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you like to hold him?” Yuri asked. “Rascal’s getting big, pretty soon you won’t be able to, considering how little you are.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With an abruptness that had Yuri instinctively stepping back again, Mavis shoved herself up from her seat. “I’m leaving tomorrow, and I don’t know when we’ll see each other again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha—</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mavis!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he exclaimed, causing Makarov to let out an alarmed noise at his father’s shout. “You can’t just disappear again!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can, and I will,” she said. “I have to. I need to finish my work, and I… I need to find Zeref again.” He’d already been alone too long. Far, far too long. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please!</span>
  </em>
  <span> I know you’ve had a hard time of it, but we could </span>
  <em>
    <span>help</span>
  </em>
  <span> you,” he insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head. “No, you can’t.” She was too far gone, and deserved the company of someone like Zeref. “I really am sorry. I wish I could have stayed as the guildmaster and enjoyed this life with you all for a little longer, but… I guess I just wasn’t meant for that. So goodbye, Yuri.” She began to shuffle through the chest containing the items of Titania’s court, a very clear indication that he should go. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though he certainly looked like he wanted to argue, Yuri obeyed the request. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Zeref had no idea how long he waited in that dead forest for Mavis to return. It might have been a day, might have been a year. Time really was meaningless to him at this point. But he had nothing better to do, so he waited for her to return, just missing having someone to talk to. He hadn’t talked to anyone like he’d talked to her since Natsu. But as he had been working on reviving Natsu… his little brother hadn’t exactly been able to respond as she had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re still here, are you? I had half expected you to return to Alvarez when you woke up to me gone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref tore his gaze away from the grass withered at his feet. “I knew you would come back.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t,” she said, her voice firm, certain. As though she had truly considered not coming back to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed. “Fine, perhaps I didn’t know, but I… hoped. I hoped you would return, and that you might come to Alvarez with me. I do think you would enjoy it, Mavis. It seems the type of game you would enjoy, building an empire.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She scoffed, coming to sit down next to him. “I can’t say that I’m interested in that at all. And what, are you expecting me to be your Empress?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A wry smile spread across his face. “If you would like.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was silent for a moment, nothing but her quiet breathing filling the eerie silence of the forest. “You’re not even going to ask where I was? What I was doing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. Why should I care? Sometimes people want to do things, and I would expect the same from you if I were to randomly vanish one day,” he said. Sometimes, he simply needed to follow his whims, and it would be hypocritical to get angry or even irritated with her for doing just the same. To him, it only proved how similar they were, how compatible they were as people, and he would go through a lot if it meant he could continue this relationship with her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dammit, Zeref… Do you actually care about anything?” she asked, frustration and hopelessness creeping into her voice. “Anything at all?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hummed, finding the question interesting. There were a lot of things he cared about. Entertaining himself, his empire, learning about magic, but he knew that wasn’t really what Mavis meant. She wanted to know if there was anything he actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “I care about Natsu. I care about you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you don’t,” she whispered, bowing her head and letting her hair fall into her eyes. “You’re convinced that you do, but you really don’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He narrowed his eyes. “And what makes you say that? I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>heartless,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mavis, regardless of what the stories all say. I thought you would have realized that by now. I care about </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you?” she asked, her voice far too soft for someone accusing him of never having cared about anything, accusing him of never having cared about </span>
  <em>
    <span>her.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Because I know you, Zeref. I know you better than any person ever has, because you have never let another person love you. Ever since your family burned to death, you have been alone, and the second I was kind to you, made it so that you didn’t have to be so alone, you were convinced you loved me. But tell me… if it weren’t for these curses, would you be that interested in me at all?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What ifs don’t matter,” he insisted. “If we go that route, we never would have met at all, because I would have died centuries ago, and you would have died of loneliness on Tenrou without Zera to keep you sane. Actually, have you ever considered that, Mavis? Even now, you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>convinced</span>
  </em>
  <span> you were in love with Zera, but were you really? She was all you had, the only person you knew, have you never thought that you might have ‘fallen in love with her’ because she was the only option you had?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Shut up!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she hissed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are accusing me of the exact same thing,” he said. “Why shouldn’t I love you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What reference for love do you even </span>
  <em>
    <span>have?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she demanded, finally turning to face him. He could tell she was attempting to glare at him, but all he could see in her eyes was sadness and confusion. “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> have you seen? You’ve been alone your whole life, and when you weren’t, you were killing everyone and everything around you!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still know I feel differently for you than I have about anyone else!” he exclaimed, overwhelmed by the strange feelings that had begun to swirl around inside him. He’d been so numb for so long, that he couldn’t even tell what the feelings </span>
  <em>
    <span>were.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was he frustrated with Mavis for acting like he couldn’t love anyone? Was he angry? Or was it the very love he swore up and down that he could feel? “What is so hard for you to believe about that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I know what your </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> did to your brother, what it did to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I refuse to be responsible for something so horrible happening again!” she shouted, jumping back to her feet and raising her fists. “You think </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to be the reason you do something like </span>
  <em>
    <span>create demons?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Fine, maybe I was mistaken, maybe you are fully capable of feeling love, maybe you feel it too strongly, because any sane person wouldn’t do things like that! Something is wrong with you, Zeref, on a fundamental level, and perhaps that’s what it is. Perhaps your love is just too much for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He blinked, trying to process what she was trying to say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know what most people do, when people they love die, Zeref?” she asked. “They grieve, they break down, but eventually… they let go and move on, because they know they have to. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No one</span>
  </em>
  <span> spends a </span>
  <em>
    <span>century</span>
  </em>
  <span> trying to bring them back to life, and ends up creating the worst monsters the world has ever seen as </span>
  <em>
    <span>practice.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>understand</span>
  </em>
  <span> that!?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He bared his teeth. “You sound just like everyone else did back then.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because they were right!” she shrieked. “You never should have done what you did! Natsu should be </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He should be </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> dead, as sad as it is. You loved him </span>
  <em>
    <span>too much,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I don’t want to have that same responsibility!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you saying that you don’t care for me at all?” he asked, finally getting to his feet as well. “Because that’s certainly what it sounds like.” He thought she’d loved him, too. Why would she ever stay with him if she didn’t? Was it desperation? The mere thought of that left him feeling hollow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she breathed. “I care for you Zeref, how could I not? But I still can’t condone the things you have done, the things I know you </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> do. You want someone to love you the same way you love them. You want your brother to love you enough that he’ll slaughter you without hesitation, you want me to love you enough to go along with whatever fleeting feeling or whim takes you over next.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what’s so wrong with that!?” he demanded. “Why can’t I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Why has the universe just told me no, over and over and over again?” He held his hands to his face, before shifting to grip at his hair and tug on it. “What did I do? What was so wrong with me? Why… </span>
  <em>
    <span>why…” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis rushed forward, wrapping her thin arms around him. “Zeref, I don’t know. I don’t know why you’re like this, or why everything went so horribly for you. But if you try, if you truly do, I think you could change. Despite it all, I don’t want to believe you’re a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad</span>
  </em>
  <span> person, I think you are just desperate, and confused. If I could, I want to help you, but… But you…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just want to have something!” he wailed, tears building in his eyes, every ounce of apathy within him vanishing, every emotion it had blocked consuming him. He still had no idea if he brought this upon himself, or if the horrific mood swings were yet another side effect of his curse, but he didn’t care. It didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>matter.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Why can’t I have anything? Anyone to actually care about? Anyone to care about </span>
  <em>
    <span>me!?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I</span>
  </em>
  <span> care about you,” Mavis swore, tightening her hold on him and pressing her face against his chest. “I—” She was cut off with a gasp, and she jerked back, her eyes going wide as she held her hands against her chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis?” Zeref held his hands out, trying to pull her close again, wanting the pressure of her leaning against him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But she crumpled, falling against the ground like a stone. Glassy eyes stared up at the too-bright sky, the clouds reflecting in green eyes that had gone far too dull. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mavis?” Zeref took a shaky step forward, helplessly shaking his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No, no, that’s impossible. That’s not… she can’t… </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He fell to his knees, jostling her shoulder. “M-Mavis, stop… this isn’t… you’re….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Not again. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was it she had said? That he loved too much? If he loved her more than she loved him… Could the curse really… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeref gathered her limp body into his arms, holding it against his chest, burying his nose in her hair. “Please… Don’t do this to me again….” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Place of Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mavis gets a visitor, and Yuri tries to move on</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Inky blackness was the only thing that existed, filling every corner of the universe, every part of her senses. It burrowed into her eyes, filled her ears, coated her tongue. She was weightless, nothing, nothing at all, as if she’d never existed. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She gasped, or at least tried, but her lungs refused to expand, to take any air in, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t force her eyes open, couldn’t see the one person she’d been longing to see for so many years now. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis, you have to get up. Not yet, you can’t see me yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cool fingers brushed across her cheeks, and Mavis tried to say something, </span>
  </em>
  <span>anything.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Anything to let Zera know she could hear her, could feel her, even in this place of darkness and nothing. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis! </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Mavis shot up with a wheezing cough, her fingers scraping against the dry earth, dead leavings crumbling in between her fingers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, finally. You’re awake.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis blinked, unable to completely process what was going on. What was… happening. She… She’d been here… with Zeref, they’d… had they fought? Or perhaps it wasn’t a fight, but… it was something similar. Where had he gone? Had he just left her here, alone in the forest? When had he even </span>
  <em>
    <span>left?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Had she passed out, somehow? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.” Someone snapped their fingers in front of her face, causing her to jump and let out an undignified squeak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry, trust me, I know how jarring this can be.” An absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>gorgeous</span>
  </em>
  <span> woman settled onto her knees in front of Mavis. She smiled, and while it was obviously meant to be comforting, it didn’t work very well considering her mouthful of fangs that had been permanently tinted red with things that Mavis did not want to imagine. “Your resurrection went by without any hitches, though. So that’s good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Resurr-Ressurection?” Mavis asked, mulling the word over in her mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” the woman said. “I suppose that’s not completely correct. You’re not </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive,</span>
  </em>
  <span> we all know what happens when you try that. But your soul has been tethered to this world, forbidden from moving on until you’ve done what you’ve promised.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> was going on!? What was this lady talking about? Who the hell </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> this woman? But Mavis was still so dazed all she could manage was a quiet, “Huh…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman leaned forward, her big, pointed ears perking up. “Come now, dear. You must have realized it by now. You died.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Died… </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis’s eyes widened, the memory rushing back. A sharp pain in her chest, her lungs refusing to draw in anymore air, confusion and hurt in Zeref’s eyes as the world had spun around her and then… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The nothing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my gods…” She fell forward, bracing herself against the ground. “Zeref… Zeref! He—He—!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid there’s nothing that can be done for him now,” the woman said. “Though… he has been a lost cause for centuries now, I do have to say. He was always headed for this. We all were.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I could have—I could have gotten through to him, I could have—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman gently took her chin and tilted her head up, forcing Mavis to look her in those alluring golden eyes, contrasting beautifully with the black marking taking up half her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A Faerie… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mavis finally realized. She was talking to a Faerie! But that didn’t make any sense… Hadn’t Magic said there were no more Faeries? And that there </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be no more until her guild was granted one? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one can do a thing for Zeref now, other than perhaps put him out of his misery. But I think, deep down, you already knew that, Mavis,” she said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who… Who are you?” Mavis asked, fully taking in the woman’s appearance, every scar that littered her body, the flaming red hair that was so long it must almost brush the ground, the golden armor that jingled and clanked when she moved. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My name is Titania, and it is thanks to you that I may finally move on.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Titania!?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mavis shrieked, jerking back up. “No, no, that’s not—You can’t be her, you’re not—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Titania threw her head back, howling with laughter, a deep, rich sound that Mavis never would have expected to come from the queen of all warriors. “Yes, I understand, by this point, I’ve been here for nearly a thousand years. I’ve been around even longer than Zeref or Acnologia or Irene.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Irene…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Titania shook her head. “It’s unimportant, for now. I just wanted to get the chance to thank you. You’re taking my place, and I can finally rest now. I hope my writings help you and your followers in the future.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t understand.” Mavis shook her head. “I don’t understand any of this! I don’t understand how I died! I don’t understand why I’m still here if I died!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Titania took a deep breath. “I thought that was obvious. You died because Zeref loved you more than you loved him, and the Curse of Ankhseram acted accordingly. The more Zeref cares about life, the more he loves, the more everything will die, including you. As for how and why you’re still here…” She chuckled. “You agreed to be Magic’s messenger, she is not going to let you go so easily. My soul has been bound to this world for a thousand years, now it is your turn.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>thousand years!?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mavis shrieked. “I’m going to be stuck here for </span>
  <em>
    <span>a thousand years!?</span>
  </em>
  <span> What about Zera!?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Titania shook her head. “It does not matter. You will remain tethered to this world, doing Magic’s bidding, either until she finds a new servant, or her wishes are fulfilled. That is what you agreed to, that is what you are here for.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But… But I…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not even death will free you from Magic,” Titania said. “You are only free when she decides you are free, and it was only because of you that that decision was made for me. So thank you again.” She dipped her head, her smile returning. “I don’t have much time left before I fade, and can finally rejoin the people I left behind, but I clung on, just so I could tell you thank you. So </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mavis.” She gripped her shoulders. “Thank you </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis blinked, still struggling to fully understand what was happening, and when she opened her eyes, Titania had vanished. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Yuri glanced to the crystal that Precht had preserved Mavis’s body in. Despite how many times he’d seen it, it still freaked him out, left shivers running up and down his spine. It’d been just over a year, but he didn’t think he’d ever recover from arriving at the guildhall one morning, to see Mavis’s lifeless body dumped on the front step like a rat. To this day, they still had no idea who or what had killed her. Despite Precht’s efforts, he couldn’t find a damn thing. It was like her body had simply… stopped working. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri couldn’t say he liked Precht’s… obsession, with finding out exactly what had happened to Mavis, with preserving her body like this. It reminded him all too much of how Mavis got before she’d disappeared, and eventually died. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had his suspicions, regarding how she might have died. After all, he knew she’d grown close with Zeref over her time away, and he knew Precht had come to the same conclusions. It was entirely possible the Black Wizard had killed her, whether it was an accident or on purpose was the question though. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you think it’s time to give her an actual memorial?” he asked, tearing his gaze away from the crystal. “A grave? She should have somewhere to rest.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht grunted. “Not until I know the truth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But why does it matter?” Yuri asked. “It… Yeah, I guess I’d like to know, but… We should just move on, shouldn’t we? This stuff… whatever she was involved in, I think that’s what got her killed, and she didn’t want us involved anyways. We should just focus on the guild.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>because</span>
  </em>
  <span> of what she was involved in that I have to keep trying,” Precht said. “She was onto something, something big. I’ve already gone over all her research on Lost Magic, and I know she had even more than that, if I could just figure out where, maybe if I could somehow find Zeref again…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri sighed and shook his head, but ventured back up the stairs. “Fine. But even if you won’t bury her body, I’m going out to Tenrou in a few weeks, to build some kind of memorial. I think she would have liked having it there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht made a small noise, neither agreement nor disagreement, but Yuri figured that was the best he was going to get. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Where are you?” Zeref gasped, dragging his fingers along the cracking and crumbling walls. “It’s been so long… too long… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where are you?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eerie silence greeted his question, just as it had been greeting him, ever since the day Mavis had died. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please,” he begged, his voice cracking on the word. “Please, Natsu… I… I’ve waited too long, I know I have, and it’s… I’ve done too much.” He held his hands to his face, scrubbing away the tears. “It wasn’t supposed to be this long, Igneel wasn’t supposed to take you away forever. Why aren’t you here? Where did you go? I don’t think I… I can’t… I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>TAKE IT ANYMORE!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt his magic swirling, but he couldn’t say he cared one bit. Everything around these ruins was gone, and had been gone, ever since the day the dragons had originally destroyed it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should have run in after you,” Zeref sobbed. “At least we would have died together. But I was too much of a damn coward.” He fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. “Then I wouldn’t have to wait on you, then I wouldn’t have killed Mavis. Gods, </span>
  <em>
    <span>gods,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Natsu. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed Mavis!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Please, please… you have to come end this, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand where his brother had gone at all. “Come back…” he murmured. “Please come back. I just… I need you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t stand another second of this, Natsu… </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. End of the Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Warrod joins the Council, and Yuri receives some harrowing news</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“The Council?” Precht demanded. “Why the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> are you doing that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod sighed. “Look, the pay is good, and let’s be honest, there’s not a whole lot here for me anymore. Mavis is dead, you don’t go on jobs anymore, and Yuri’s basically off active duty. Beyond that, none of us have even… Let’s not kid ourselves, Precht. Have any of us actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>been friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> since Rita died? The second Mavis disappeared, we all fell apart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re overreacting,” Precht argued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Warrod scoffed and shook his head. “Am I? I still don’t actually know what happened to Mavis. All I know is we found her corpse here one morning. I can forgive Yuri. His wife died, and he had his son to think about it, not to mention that illness of his that’s developed. But you’ve just ignored me. But I don’t care at this point. I’m just here to give you my notice, to let you know I’m quitting. I’m heading to Crocus in a week.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri leaned against the doorframe, clutching a hand to his chest. He’d had the suspicion that Warrod had been thinking about quitting the guild for a while now, but it still hurt to hear. He was sure his friend had planned to break it to him much easier than this, but as soon as Yuri saw Warrod disappearing into Precht’s office, he tailed after him, his curiosity getting the better of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht tried to argue again, but Warrod was already walking out of the office, without giving Yuri enough time to clear out and pretend he hadn’t heard a word of that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Yuri.” Warrod sighed and shook his head. “I’m guessing you heard that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Can’t say I’m really all that surprised though.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I’d figured something like this would happen eventually…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s got nothing to do with you,” Warrod assured him. “It’s just… I think it’s time for me to move on. We had some good times, but… You know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri took a deep breath. “Yeah. I know. Good luck with the Council. They’ll be lucky to have someone like you. It’ll be strange not seeing you around every day though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure you could get a job with the Council, if you wanted,” Warrod said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “I mean, you’re basically doing desk work here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri shook his head. “Nah, Maki loves it here, I couldn’t move him to Crocus like that. He’ll be running the guild at this rate.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His friend chuckled. “Yeah, you might be right. He reminds me a bit of Mavis, at times. He’s thoughtful like her, and definitely seems to believe in this place as much as she did.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri smiled, glad he wasn’t the only one who saw it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” Warrod slapped his shoulder. “I’ll be sure to come visit when I can, and I expect you to return the favor. And if the guild ever gets to be too much for you, you’ll always have a place with me. Don’t go overworking yourself, yeah?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying,</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t phrase it like that,” Yuri said, giving him a playful shove. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Forgive me for being worried, but not a single healer you’ve gone to has had any idea what this was,” he said, some of the mirth leaving his expression. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean… yeah, but it’s not anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad,” he said. “It’s just some fatigue, it’s probably… I dunno, an iron deficiency or something.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think a healer or doctor would notice if it was just an iron deficiency, but who knows.” He shrugged. “Just take care of yourself, since me and Mavis won’t be around to do it anymore.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh please, I don’t need to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>taken care of,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you dolt. I’m not that inept,” he laughed. “But do make sure you keep in touch, if only to make sure I haven’t gotten myself killed, yeah?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, Yuri.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to give you another two years, at the most.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri blinked, unable to even process, let alone accept the healer’s words. “I’m sorry… what?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed, and gave him a sad look. “For the life of me, I still can’t find a cause for this, but… For some reason, it’s like your body is just shutting down, like it can’t handle being alive anymore. It started with the fatigue, but soon your immune system will start to suffer, and your organs will weaken. At that point, it’ll only be a matter of time before an illness, or perhaps something like a heart attack or liver failure will kill you. I can treat symptoms, but this isn’t something I can cure. Not even with magic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But… I don’t…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I know this must be a lot,” she said, keep her voice calm and steady. “I’d hoped I was wrong, but it’s certainly gotten worse since the last time you came, and this is the only conclusion I have left. Is it possible something like this has run in your family? It wouldn’t surprise me if it was genetic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… N-No, both my parents were perfectly healthy, but… It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>genetic?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gods, did that mean he’d passed whatever the hell this was down to Makarov? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The healer shrugged. “It’s a possibility, I’m afraid. You have a son, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still unable to wrap his head around any of this, Yuri nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right… Well, warn him about this, that way if he ever begins experiencing the same symptoms, maybe it could be caught earlier, and more could be done,” she said. “Though it’s not uncommon for these kinds of things to skip generations, so maybe he’s perfectly alright.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I still don’t…” How the hell could he just be </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it’s not something you’ve inherited from your parents, I’m assuming it has something to do with magic,” she said. “You told me you were a guild wizard, right? Well, has anything ever happened that could have had… consequences like this?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not!” he snapped, his shock finally wearing away, being replaced with anxiety and anger over how unfair this was. “Don’t you think if something had I would have—” He cut himself off. “The dragon…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The healer tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face. “The… dragon?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri drug his hand down his face. “Oh gods, it was that damned dragon and the Law spell, wasn’t it? There’s nothing else it could </span>
  <em>
    <span>be.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Of course that had fucked his body up, </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course</span>
  </em>
  <span> it had. He’d been melded with a dragon skeleton, for god’s sake! Before being ripped apart from it by one of the most powerful spells in the world! He was lucky it hadn’t caught up to him before now, wasn’t he? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well… I suppose the hows don’t really matter,” the healer said when he didn’t offer anymore explanations to her. “I’ll do what I can for you, and I’m sure any other healer or doctor you talk to will do the same. Come for regular check ups, and the second anything feels wrong, or even a little bit </span>
  <em>
    <span>off,</span>
  </em>
  <span> come get it checked out. Understand me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuri nodded, because what else could he do?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. And once again, I really am sorry.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Dying!?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Precht demanded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Yuri said, unable to tear his gaze away from the floor. “Every healer and doctor I’ve talked to have given me about two more years to live. If even that. I’m off active duty for… for the rest of my life.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yuri!” his friend exclaimed. “That’s not what I’m worried about! I’m worried about </span>
  <em>
    <span>you!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head. “There’s nothing to worry about, because there’s nothing anyone can do. I just… Please keep an eye on Makarov for me, will you? He’s… He’s only thirteen, and I…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Precht shook his head. “You don’t even have to ask about something like that, Yuri. I’ll do everything I can for him. I’ll do everything I can for </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Maybe the Lost Magic Mavis left me will have—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. No, I don’t want that.” Ancient and powerful magic was the reason he’d ended up like this in the first place, and Precht was driving himself crazy enough with still trying to figure out what had happened to Mavis. “Please, don’t do that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Please, just listen to me regarding this. It’s hard enough. I don’t need to deal with that too. I’m just… I’m just going to spend what time I can with Makarov, and… and get my affairs in order, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine…” Precht agreed, though Yuri could hear the reluctance in his voice. His friend looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>far</span>
  </em>
  <span> from happy about just letting this go, but Yuri couldn’t blame him. If Warrod or Precht were in his situation, he’d be doing the same, doing everything in his power to help them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he knew there was nothing that could be done for this, so what was the point? It would just result in false hope and frustrations. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Maki’s already forming his own team, you know?” Yuri smiled and shook his head. “Precht won’t let them take the really difficult jobs yet, obviously, but I know they’re going to be great wizards when they’re older. I think you’d be really proud.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, the grave didn’t reply. Not that Yuri had expected it to. It hadn’t replied when he’d built it, and it hadn’t replied a single time he’d made the pilgrimage out to Tenrou, just to update Mavis on everything that had happened with Fairy Tail since she’d passed on. Except now… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid this is probably going to be the last time I come visit you,” he said. “I doubt… I’m going to be around long enough to come back again.” Normally, he came once a year, but if he was even still alive by this time next year, he’d likely be too weak to attempt the journey to Tenrou, let alone trek across the island to the secluded place he’d made the grave. “A couple months ago, I got told I only had two years left to live. I think you’re the only one who doesn’t know at this point.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, the grave was silent, only the chirping animals in the forest being heard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed. “I just thought I would let you know, so you didn’t worry when I didn’t come back next year. But I don’t know. Maybe that’s the only positive out of all of this. Maybe I’ll get to see you again soon, see Rita. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally get to meet Zera for real. I’m sure you’d love that, finally getting to actually introduce us. I know I’d love to meet her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He patted the grave, brushing aside some dead leaves that had settled on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll see you around, Mavis.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Idk if anyone picked up on it, but Laxus did inherit Yuri's illness, though his developed as a child, which was why he got the dragon lacrima, as it was an attempt to save his life (which obviously it did)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Epilogue: World's Unbalance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mavis awaits Fairy Tail's recreation</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Are you ready to return balance to the magic of the world?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis took slow, delicate steps through the rubble of the guildhall. It’d been a year since the battle against Tartaros, and in that year, weeds and flowers had begun to sprout amongst the debris, vaguely reminding her of the ruins of Tenrou. “So you’re finally bringing them back together, are you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zeref’s demon has finally returned, and you know the rest of them will follow,” Magic said, her soft voice almost able to be mistaken for a gentle breeze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis hummed. News of Natsu’s reappearance in Crocus had spread like a wildfire, and the people of Magnolia were abuzz with gossip. It could be heard throughout the whole town, musings if this was Fairy Tail’s method of announcing their return. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a way, Mavis supposed it was, even if they didn’t know it yet. Because Magic was right. Natsu was already in Crocus, probably convening with the guild members that were there, and it wouldn’t be long before they contacted everyone else. No one had truly expected the guild to remain disbanded, and now that they had a catalyst, it was sure to be coming back together any day now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But they were returning for a war, even if they didn’t know it yet. Zeref was on the move, Mavis could sense it. His magic had been pulsating and rising for the past year, ever since he’d taken possession of the Book of E.N.D. once more. And where powerful magic clashed, Acnologia was sure to follow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every distortion of magical energy in the world was about to convene, purely to try and kill one another. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis wasn’t sure if Fiore was going to survive the upcoming battles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please be kind to them,” she requested. “I know what you have to use them for, and I’m not asking you to spare them. It’s too late for that anyways. Just… please… do what you can to make it easier for them.” Mavis had known, as soon as this generation had been adopted into the guild that they were the ones Magic had chosen, but it was still difficult for Mavis to accept at times. These people had been subtly nudged towards this path for years now, since they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>children. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have been nothing but loyal to me, so I will do as you ask,” Magic said, and Mavis sensed her presence disappear, fading back into the flow of power and magic in the world. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis took a deep breath, and gazed towards the horizon, as if her guild members were due to show up any second now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She would wait for them, just as she had been waiting for a century, since the day she was born, even if she hadn’t known it back then. She would wait for them, and give them what little guidance she could in this final battle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then she would finally rest. One way or another, this war would be the end of the world as they knew it. Either Zeref and Acnologia would succeed in their quests to annihilate everything around them, or her guild would succeed, and the magic of the world would reset, launching them into a new reality, reminiscent of the old days. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d been through much… They had </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> been through so much. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you… Titania.” It was only because of her that any of this was even possible in the first place. “Thank you so much, and I hope you’re resting well. I hope you can see Erza, wherever you are. I think you’d be incredibly proud of her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She bowed her head, studying every little brick and piece of wood that had been shattered into pieces. “I’ll be joining you soon. Yuri, and Zera… I’ll get to see them, too.” Her two best friends, who had waited far too long for her to return. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mavis smiled, though she couldn’t tell if it was a happy one or not. “The end has come, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And, that's a wrap on part seven! I hope it served as a good setup for events to come! Now that I've finished with it, I'll hopefully be getting the last few chapters of the time-skip events up soon, and then we'll be going right into Alvarez, and I really hope I can deliver on everything I've set up and built up lmao </p>
<p>Anyways, as always, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next part :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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